Add pepper. Why? I don't get it. Dad says if you have a small leak in your radiator to put ground pepper in there. "Works every time," says he.
So naturally, I do it. And of course, it works. What the hell? How does that work? My truck has been overheating and popping and fuming (strange in this wintry* cold). I finally added a little pepper to my truck and tada! Runs like a gem. Huh?
My truck is becoming a winter treat. Pepper in the radiator and a layer of salt on the body.
*Whoever decided that the "e" is removed from "winter" when a "y" is added to the end is not my friend. That's a stupid rule. "Wintry" looks nothing like "winter" and loses all its panache. Lame, lame.
2011/01/31
The mogul king
This weekend I abandoned my pooch for a day and headed south to the mountains to ski. It was grand. Once I got my legs under me I was able to leave the masses (and their long lift lines) behind to focus on the blacks. I am the mogul king. Except when I eat it. And then I'm more like a mogul jester.
To make it up to Jake I took him sledding on Sunday. We went to Fisher's Hill, a historic battlefield nearby, where gladly no historians made an appearance. Jake and I and the cows had the whole winter-scape to ourselves to construct several hundred yards of slalom run. With a sled I could lie down in, I could zip down the hill with Jake in hot pursuit. Towards the end my trip was so fast I would finish each run with that raucous cackle that betrays "oh my god I'm going to die on this thing but this is oh so fun." I had to flail all four legs outside the boat to slow myself down before I slid into the brambles and a ditch.
Then Jake got a hot shower and a hot meal. Pretty dandy for a Sunday. Plus I made the best Sundy brunch ever. Exhibit A:
To make it up to Jake I took him sledding on Sunday. We went to Fisher's Hill, a historic battlefield nearby, where gladly no historians made an appearance. Jake and I and the cows had the whole winter-scape to ourselves to construct several hundred yards of slalom run. With a sled I could lie down in, I could zip down the hill with Jake in hot pursuit. Towards the end my trip was so fast I would finish each run with that raucous cackle that betrays "oh my god I'm going to die on this thing but this is oh so fun." I had to flail all four legs outside the boat to slow myself down before I slid into the brambles and a ditch.
Then Jake got a hot shower and a hot meal. Pretty dandy for a Sunday. Plus I made the best Sundy brunch ever. Exhibit A:
Plus my friend in DC informed me that my underwear are still hanging from the rafters at my favorite bar. Long story. Suffice to say: I'm famous.
2011/01/27
Snow Snow Snow
Last night my boss informed me: "You need to leave." Not because of my grating personality, because of the snow! I got out to the empty parking lot to find my truck thus:
It didn't look like this in the morning. I scraped it off and headed home. The streets hadn't been plowed yet and it was slow going. I couldn't even drive up my giant hill and had to leave my truck behind and walk the rest of the way to the house.
Once home I changed, and Jake and I let lose. We romped, we snorted, we ran and we played. And then I tackled him and made him eat snow. A good six inches on the ground made my picnic table disappear and turned my clothes lines into 4 inch diameter tubes strung across the yard.
We made a big snowman, complete with a carrot nose and sticks for arms. Jake was a little wary at first, and he got in trouble for trampling the man, but soon enough
they were getting along.
they were getting along.
Later, when were inside warming and cooking dinner in long johns, I looked out to see my neighbor snow blowing my drive. How nice is that? Thanks Daryll!
2011/01/26
What you need to know
I quit my job! I'm so excited it's like breathing helium all the time. I also have a new job that I'm very excited about. I'm in the middle of serious legal negotiations and all that crap but it's all worth it when I go home to play soccer with my pooch in the cold and dark and he's hoppity boppity happy and beer tastes like goodness again. The cloud has been lifted! The shroud removed! My gravy pours lumpy and clear.
2011/01/11
Musical Madness
This weekend was musically phenomenal. First I spent Friday evening jamming at the local Irish pub. Always a treat, and this time the tune-makers were out in force.
I spent Saturday recording (in between hitchhiking to Winchester for some minor automobile repairs). I'm so pleased with my new recordings of "Rainbird" and "Ashley Dear." The latter wrote itself, but "Rainbird" has been in the works for months. I just haven't been able to take this mediocre song, that I can't play very well, and turn it into something worth listening to. What a surprise. Normally I wouldn't put so much work into mediocrity, but I need the song for the title track because I have to match the artwork on the cover. Priorities. Anyway, I got there. It won't be long, now that the title track is laid, before the new CD is out and up.
Saturday night I went to a mini-jam with some friends, but all this pales in comparison to Sunday. My mandolin-wielding friend and I played for 3 hours at Christina's cafe. For one, it was a blast, but we made a boat load in tips. Well, a small boat worth. More than I expected anyway.
Then Sunday evening the open mic night at the cafe was jam-packed. I played a few songs of my own on guitar, but when the fiddle and the mandolin-man came out, the roof came down. Ben and I had the best bluegrass set yet, and the crowd loved it.
Still reeling from the musical madness in Virginia. Literally: new reels every night.
I spent Saturday recording (in between hitchhiking to Winchester for some minor automobile repairs). I'm so pleased with my new recordings of "Rainbird" and "Ashley Dear." The latter wrote itself, but "Rainbird" has been in the works for months. I just haven't been able to take this mediocre song, that I can't play very well, and turn it into something worth listening to. What a surprise. Normally I wouldn't put so much work into mediocrity, but I need the song for the title track because I have to match the artwork on the cover. Priorities. Anyway, I got there. It won't be long, now that the title track is laid, before the new CD is out and up.
Saturday night I went to a mini-jam with some friends, but all this pales in comparison to Sunday. My mandolin-wielding friend and I played for 3 hours at Christina's cafe. For one, it was a blast, but we made a boat load in tips. Well, a small boat worth. More than I expected anyway.
Then Sunday evening the open mic night at the cafe was jam-packed. I played a few songs of my own on guitar, but when the fiddle and the mandolin-man came out, the roof came down. Ben and I had the best bluegrass set yet, and the crowd loved it.
Still reeling from the musical madness in Virginia. Literally: new reels every night.
How to pick up
After a month or so of non-posting due to holiday "stress" I somehow have to get back in the swing of things. Let's see:
I drove to Florida with my dog for the holidays. Nessa opted out of the voyage, hid in the house, an had to stay in frigid Virginia for two weeks alone. She was regretting this decision upon our return, but she's doing okay now.
My family couldn't get their act together to buy a Christmas tree but they were able to make one entirely out of household items and Christmas lights. I don't think this lands in the lazy pile.
The cuckoo family also elected for a non-tradition Christmas (again). No, we didn't invite over the homeless - we celebrated Quacky Quistmas.
My brother and father spent days building water works for duck racing. They were literally building ponds, banked turns, drag strips and laying underground pipe to insure that the duck racing was top notch. It was. My father finished "Duck Downs" on Christmas Eve while my brother was still digging in the dirt to develop "Talladucka Super Slo-way" well into the night.
Everyone brought a duck. The picture here is of Katie and Pinray in "the winner's circle" (a bucket). Notice Katie's "crown"; Pinray obviously came in second.
I misinterpreted my mother's instructions that each duck would need duckorations and thought we were responsible for writing a duck "oration." I wrote a duck song about my devil ducky and his cheetah speed spots. It was quite the hit at Open Mic last week. The last verse composed entirely of words beginning with "d" convinced the MC and host that I "had done a lot of acid."
I also wrote a song for my cousin, and Christmas went off as they do: with music and stories, a little booze, and a duckoration from my uncle that had us all in stitches. Lots of wrapping, then unwrapping, eating, then pooping, then eating some more.
New Year's Eve was surprisingly uneventful for us, but I think it suited everyone just fine. We watched Looney Tunes and passed around humus on the couch.
We made up for it on New Year's Day however when my entire family went skydiving. You can watch a video of dad's leap here: http://www.skydivefl.com/01012011tandempages/marty.html
Mom says: "Take note! Dana and Rory are wearing no shoes and Daddy has no teeth." What a bunch of hicks. We followed up our sky-falling (no sky-dying or sky-pain!) and my holiday with lunch and pie at Flora and Ella's in Labelle.
I drove to Florida with my dog for the holidays. Nessa opted out of the voyage, hid in the house, an had to stay in frigid Virginia for two weeks alone. She was regretting this decision upon our return, but she's doing okay now.
My family couldn't get their act together to buy a Christmas tree but they were able to make one entirely out of household items and Christmas lights. I don't think this lands in the lazy pile.
The cuckoo family also elected for a non-tradition Christmas (again). No, we didn't invite over the homeless - we celebrated Quacky Quistmas.
My brother and father spent days building water works for duck racing. They were literally building ponds, banked turns, drag strips and laying underground pipe to insure that the duck racing was top notch. It was. My father finished "Duck Downs" on Christmas Eve while my brother was still digging in the dirt to develop "Talladucka Super Slo-way" well into the night.
Everyone brought a duck. The picture here is of Katie and Pinray in "the winner's circle" (a bucket). Notice Katie's "crown"; Pinray obviously came in second. I misinterpreted my mother's instructions that each duck would need duckorations and thought we were responsible for writing a duck "oration." I wrote a duck song about my devil ducky and his cheetah speed spots. It was quite the hit at Open Mic last week. The last verse composed entirely of words beginning with "d" convinced the MC and host that I "had done a lot of acid."
I also wrote a song for my cousin, and Christmas went off as they do: with music and stories, a little booze, and a duckoration from my uncle that had us all in stitches. Lots of wrapping, then unwrapping, eating, then pooping, then eating some more.
New Year's Eve was surprisingly uneventful for us, but I think it suited everyone just fine. We watched Looney Tunes and passed around humus on the couch.
We made up for it on New Year's Day however when my entire family went skydiving. You can watch a video of dad's leap here: http://www.skydivefl.com/01012011tandempages/marty.html
Mom says: "Take note! Dana and Rory are wearing no shoes and Daddy has no teeth." What a bunch of hicks. We followed up our sky-falling (no sky-dying or sky-pain!) and my holiday with lunch and pie at Flora and Ella's in Labelle.
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