Sorry I'm having computer problems

I did make it back from my trip and I will try to get things fixed so I can get back to updating my blog soon.

Team Building

Today at work our team all went bowling and then we played laser tag and arcade games. I have never played laser tag and I really didn't want to. I'm glad I did now, because it was a lot of fun.

I know that Al already thinks that all I do is go to meetings and then have fun like this at work

Quote: You have to be a team player and to be able to get along with others because all of your work is done in a team framework. You have to know how to compromise and have a sense of humor. - Birthney Ardoin

Just so you have time to prepare

I'm going out of town either late Thursday or early Friday and will not be back until very late Wednesday. I'm going to a movie, a Renaissance Festival and then flying to Florida for a few days.

Let's just hope that I can keep my costuming correct and don't end up dressed midevil at the airport.

For now it's about all I can do to get myself together and get packed and ready. This is not really a vacation, but it will have to do ;-)

Quote: Babies don't need a vacation but I still see them at the beach. I'll go over to them and say, 'What are you doing here, you've never worked a day in your life!'. - Stephen Wright

Just off the turnip truck

Not really, but just out of my Dad's garden. My Dad gave me a turnip and I have been looking at recipes. I think I have figured out how I want to cook it. I want to get a garden going myself, but haven't done it yet.

Turnip Recipe

2 pounds fresh turnips
1 fresh apple (optional)
2 or 3 tablespoons margarine
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

First peel the turnips with a vegetable peeler. Peel the apple too if you like, but it isn't necessary, unless he skin is really ugly. Chop or slice the turnips, (and the apple) into the chunks the right size for eating. Fill a big pot half full of water. Add the turnips, apple (if you're using it), the margarine, sugar and salt and pepper as you like. Cover the pot and simmer on the back of the stove for about 20 minutes, or until the turnip chunks are tender to your preference. Serve hot. Serves six.

Note: The secret to this recipe is the apple.

The sugar, by itself makes the turnips better than usual, but the apple flavor gently caresses each chunk of turnip, changing its flavor subtly, but with powerful results.

Fred didn't know they were turnips the first time he tried them. He thought they were fancy potatoes. I've put leftovers from this recipe into beef stew and confirmed turnip haters were unable to recognize them. <- that was from the recipe not from me. I don't even know Fred ;-)

Quote: It was a symbol of plenty to the German people of old. A group of tourists from Germany explained the tradition to me, saying that the people believed if they had turnips planted or stockpiled after the harvest then they had no fears of going hungry, and it was thus a sign of good luck. - Mary Rankin

Mothers Day

The Girl rode with me to go and visit my Mom and we spent some time there.

I put air in my tire before we left. My tire was flat the other day. I have been keeping an eye on it and so far it just seems to have a slow leak.

The other thing I found out it that there are not cell phone towers for my cell phone on the back roads to my parents house, so I took the main road coming back.

Quote: Other things may change us, but we start and end with family - Anthony Brandt

Toastmasters

I went back to the toastmasters group. If you don't remember me talking about it before, toastmasters is a group where you learn to speak in public. Like giving toasts at weddings etc.

It was really fun and we had two people giving speeches. One was giving his first speech, but he didn't seem nervous at all. We have had people in the past who felt like they would get sick or pass out the first time they spoke.

Quote: There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking - Jean de la Bruyere

Walking and Talking

This subject came up about a week ago and then again yesterday.

I took a hard look at myself and my walk verses my talk. I have to say, while my intentions are good, I do have a tendency to get sidetracked.

It's the getting sidetracked that puts me off course.

Today I'm going to try to use what's left of the day in a more straight and narrow way. With God's help I think I can do a lot better than I have been.

Quote: Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one
- Albert Einstein (you have got to love Albert)

Farmer wants a wife

This show may be really bad, but I think it will be good. I've been waiting for them to put it online so I can watch it because I missed it when they actually had it on TV.

So now they have it online and I can't wait to see it. I will probably have to stay up late tonight to see it.

Quote: As the farmer who won the lottery said when asked what he was going to do with his winnings "Keep farming until it's all gone - not sure who said this

Washer - a -phobia

I've been trying to get my washer not to make loud noise and move around while it's working. I'm afraid that something is wrong with it. At the same time I'm also afraid that there is something that I didn't do right.

I hope that it's just unbalanced, but I have really tried to check it out and it seems to be balanced just fine.

Quote: One out of four people in this country is mentally unbalanced. Think of your three closes friends; if they seem OK, then you're the one.- Ann Landers

Letting someone else mow

I sent an email to a yard service and they went out to my house and mowed. I was so nervous all day at work thinking what if they were at the wrong house. It's weird to have someone working at your house when you never even saw them.

I was very happy when I got home and the lawn was all neatly mowed.

I'm sure that my neighbors are happy too. I may mow the other yard, or call them to.

Quote: The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. - P. J. O'Rourke <- or sometimes the Democrats get elected and prove even worse stuff ;-/

New Washer & Dryer

My friend helped me to get a washer and dryer and set them up in my new house. He is very strong ;-) Now I really have everything I need in my new house, but I have a few more things to move frome the old house and some cleaning to do. I'm going to really try hard to get all the moving done this week.

I have some friends who may help me this weekend to finish up. Oh and I have to mow AGAIN ;-)

Quote: Strong men can always afford to be gentle. Only the weak are intent on "giving as good as they get." - Elbert Hubbard

Things are not always how they look

My friend tried to pop my neck in the parking lot, but putting his hands around my neck and pulling up. My neck didn't pop, but a little group of people did walk by and so we got in the truck and left.

We were afraid they would think he was trying to choke me, because you know how people are now days.


So if you read somewhere that someone tried to choke Moggy in the parking lot over the weekend, it's not true.

Quote: Go oft to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bowling Again

We only had about 12 people show up this time, there must have been something else going on for some of them. I invited a couple of friends who don't usually go, or it would have been even less. We had a lot of fun as usual and I did bowl over 100 which is alway my goal now that I have at least gotten up to that.

You can probably tell that I'm tired, this is not very funny ;-)

It rained really hard yesterday

It was pouring down. I'm lucky I don't live in a low spot.I don't have to worry about flooding. I do worry about getting my yard mowed as often as it needs to be.

The flowers are really growing, when I catch up on other things I will try to get some pictures. I have wild pink flowers in the back yard and a lot of various ones in the front flowerbed.

Quote: May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. Psalm 72:6 <- They had to mow grass even way back then? ;-)

Retro TV

One great thing about cable is all the old TV shows. The Nanny, Frazer, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Golden Girls and the list goes on. The bad thing is they are so tempting. I have been bad at getting caught up in it.

I'm going to have a good talk with myself and set some limits.

Quote: Never, never, never, never give up. - Winston Churchill