A new challenge...once I finally fork out some cash for CS2.

I saw something similar earlier with a tutorial on how to create these. I'll have to search notcot for it.

After the water leak was fixed, we ripped out the cabinets to clean out the mildew. Gross. We also found the hidden pineapple wallpaper that matched our lovely pineapple tiles. Puke.

In June, the second half of the deconstruction began. The desk was removed as was the sheet rock. Electrical was run. Studs were leveled. Green rock was hung. Taping, floating, sanding, floating... This weekend: sanding, texturizing, painting... And we laid the rest of the floor boards!!! All that's left is to sand down some uneven edges, touch up the paint, paint and install the door trim, and paint and install the base board and quarter round. It's beautiful!!!

I love this...

Source

Quick pictures before I go find my bird book. Possibly a Mississippi Kite? As I pulled into the driveway this evening, I saw a big ol' bird land in the top branches of our Cyprus tree. I sat in the car for a bit to watched him feed his babies. Yeah yeah yeah...grainy as hell, but I was zoomed in all the way while standing on the couch on the back deck. Mo wants bird cams. We have owls somewhere in our trees as well as a number of cardinal and blue jay nests.

What a weekend...

What I thought was going to be a nice, slow, relaxing birthday turned into the best surprise party I've ever had. Saturday started nice and slow with a pancake breakfast and mmmm mmmm good coffee, looked at dumb stuff on the internet for a while, painted more of my drawing room, helped clean the house, and just hung out until it was time to get ready for dinner. Or so I thought... I threw on a dress and tiny dark pink heels, walked downstairs and around the corner into the kitchen, and I get a big surprise from a room full of friends. And more people arrive...and more. Will even baked a yummy cake Friday afternoon and hid it so well that I didn't smell chocolate! It was awesome. We had a great evening.

The end of the evening...

And now it's Sunday. We slept in, watched the last of the Manchester City - West Ham United game, and are ready for a nice, slow rest-of-the-weekend.

My big fat head listening to my new iPhone. Actually taken with my iPhone.

Per a previous story, I finally tried out a little work with the Wacom on a picture from Hot Water Blast. I made it not so invisible because I liked the way it looked with a little of the background coming through.

Rusty

Kosal

Jeremy

Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale. Sounds girly, doesn't it? It's good. And it actually has a real orange flavor. And typical me, I really dig the label.

Download the "Me I'm Not (Used To This) Remix" here

This is a bit more approachable than the previous mix. I've been in a mood for sonic dissonance lately, I think these mixes show that. I'm also trying to keep it simple.

I couldn't sleep tonight, found myself in the studio remixing Nine Inch Nails "Vessel." I call it the Numbskull remix. It's unusual, I don't expect everyone to like it.

Download Vessel - Numbskull remix here

Saw this before dinner tonight and had to get a couple pictures. I love the reflection... such a nice pattern. And I like the underlighting on my desk. Makes everything look so pretty together.

All hooked up at the hospital and ready to go.  This the first in a long line of images, please go to my flickr photostream for the rest of the photos.

Click thru to the photos

Yesterday I was buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for Athena the Wonder dog, at Wal-Mart and was about to check out. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog. What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired, with little to do, on impulse, I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina Diet again. Although I probably shouldn't, because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms...

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Grilled chicken tenderized and coated in olive oil and secret spice. Potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, yellow onion slices, garlic, lemon wedges, rosemary, oregano, and thyme sprigs drizzled in olive oil and baked at 400F for 40 minutes. And then dessert...

I found this on the cover of the July 2008 Southern Living magazine and had to make it. I think I should have pulled it out of the oven about 2 minutes early, but it was tasty regardless.

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 4 cups blackberries and raspberries
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place 6 ramekins on foil lined baking sheet.
2. Divide 4 cups fresh blackberries and raspberries between 6 ramekins. Sprinkle with the lemon juice.
3. Stir together egg, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit.
4. Drizzle butter over topping.
5. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

Serves 6
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We made these for lunch today. It's been a long time since I had real sloppy joes. Mmmmmmmm...

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lbs ground beef sirloin
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tbsp spice
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 sm red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 c tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine.
2. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer.

Serves 4
Source

I'd like to check these out some time soon. Peaches are in season!!! Check out Pick Your Own to find a farm or orchard near you.

Gnismer Farms

Henrietta Creek Orchard

This valance was hanging in the living room when we moved in. The top fabric isn't bad at all. We just don't want the valance any more. So, I've been deconstructing this 8' long beast and uncovered some ugly fabric. Gross.

Tiva helped me pull staples and uncover the yuckiness.

Well ok so I always said that Linux was stable and that you really “never” need to reboot, so here is my awesome uptime for one of my machines.

~]$ uptime 12:50:56 up 628 days, 21:10, 0.01, 0.02, 0.00

Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.EL #1

3000x1883

3000x1798

We've had her for 6 weeks now I think... which puts her at around 11 weeks old. She has more energy than she knows what to do with, so she bites, chews, jumps on, pounces on, and climbs everything in sight. The other cats don't seem to want to "play" with her yet (at least when we're in the house). I don't blame them. Getting bit isn't fun. But she's a super cute kitty and when she's calm, she's the sweetest little cat.

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