Well….since I didn’t have a lot to do today, I thought I’d screw around with the remote for my DVD player and see if I could make it work…and, to my surprise, I got about half of it to work…enough so I could play my Steely Dan dvd for the first time in a couple of years…but the thing sounds like it has a rod knock so I guess I’ll have to replace it..and, here’s the thing…to get a replacement remote would cost about 30 bucks and I see that ABC warehouse has an entire player on sale for $17 bucks…and a coffee maker for $12.99 so it looks like I may be making a trip out this week to spend 30 bucks for both….can’t pass that up….
December 25th
Well….I think I’m in the 15th year of not celebrating christmas and it feels pretty good to not have anything to do today but a little work around here…I am doing one of the traditions still, though…A Christmas Story is on and I have to watch it at least once in the 24 hours it’s on…didn’t do a lot yesterday but cook and today will probably be the same without the cooking….don’t have a lot to do so I won’t do it….I am running late today and the reason escapes me…was up early enough but just idling and can’t really get started…..I may even be able to get out on the bike in the lot here tomorrow since it is going to be around 50…will put the top down on the car, too since I do need my December top down time….I am looking forward to the all day soccer marathon tomorrow and the Doctor Who christmas special that is on tonight…that will give me something to look forward to…more later…
The great pork roast experiment….
Well….if you have come here before, you know that I can be pretty weird at times….something that I am a little proud of and describe as being 45 degrees off the rest of the world….and today, that weirdness manifested itself in the great pork roast experiment, where I took two identical pork sirloin roasts and prepared one with a marinade that I let it soak in overnight, and the other prepared identically except no marinade…and the results are in…marinating the roast is the way to go…much more flavorful and juicy than the other one…..now, I don’t think I’ve ever known of anyone else using the scientific method of controlling all variables but one to see which recipe tastes best…I know it probably happens but I’d like to think that it is my weirdness that drove the experiment….and to get clear cut results is pretty cool, too….
Doctor Who revisited…
Well…just finished up my roast experiment and am watching the Doctor Who marathon on BBC this morning and I think my opinion is changing somewhat on the question of Peter Capaldi as the Doctor….he is certainly different than the other doctors and much less funny, but his portrayal is growing on me as I revisit the series. There was a line in one of today’s episodes that just struck me as being the definition of caring for someone…”do you think I care so little for you that betraying me would matter?” That was the Doctor to Clara after she attempted to blackmail the Doctor into saving Danny after he was killed by a car walking across the street…another one of Steven Moffat’s great lines that are woven through the series….now I’m going back to watch the rest of them….more later…
December 24th
Well…I just noticed that I only have 19 more of these to do to get to 5K since I started this thing…that’s a lot….had a nice day yesterday but I lost at pool…finally…and Tom baked the best banana bread I think I’ve ever had….going to have more of it in a minute with my coffee….didn’t sleep as well last night as I have lately and that is a little confusing…so, that leaves me a little worn out this morning but I don’t have much to do so that is okay…no soccer this morning and that is a little irritating…I like to start my Saturdays on the couch with a match but I guess doctor who will have to do….I am going to cook my big meal for the holiday today and I am curious how the experiment is going to come out….with one roast marinated and the other just rubbed…whatever happens, I am going to have some nice pork sirloin with mashed potatoes and gravy for lunch….don’t have a lot to do today but clean so I really don’t have to start yet…just need more coffee…more later….
December 23rd
Well…had a pretty good day yesterday and made some cash so that was cool….had a nice lunch with T and we laughed a bunch which made me feel a lot better….but, the rest of the day was just a waste and I didn’t get anything done…not that I had to but one of these days I’d like to get something done….feel a little crappy this morning but I know why and I did it to myself so I shouldn’t complain too much…I have really busy morning this morning so I should get at it…need to wash the car and then run a bunch of errands and I may even make more cash today but, I need coffee first….don’t want to be in the stores tomorrow so I need to get that done today….it is weird waiting for it to get light enough to go wash the car but I guess that gives me time to have some coffee….more later….
Let’s talk some tv…
Well…sitting here with the Dr. Who marathon running in the background and that gave me an idea to talk about tv a little…have been watching some intriguing shows over the past few weeks and thought it would make a good topic…but first, I need to bitch a little about Dr. Who…after watching ones with the earlier Doctors…it just makes me dislike Peter Capaldi in the role even more than I did before…his Doctor is a lifeless caricature of the fun, funny, and nuanced performances turned in by the earlier actors and I think they need to find a reason to find a new Doctor. Just found a new show called the OA on my son’s server the other day and I’m not sure what to make of it yet…it something like stranger things in the way it tells the story but seems a little contrived at times…but, I am going to watch a couple more tonight to see if it improves over time. I have been watching Westworld, too, and I like the show enough to be down to the last two of the first season…which I may watch tonight…and then there is Good Behavior that is growing on me as I watch…good character development and writing and it has kept me interested in every episode so maybe that’s a good one, too….who knows? I do know that my tastes are not for everyone…but, good tv is good tv….
December 22nd
Well….didn’t get a lot done yesterday but the grocery run and today looks the same…supposed to have lunch with T but I’m not sure if that is going to happen….I think the dosage change on my allergy meds is working at night and I have been able to breathe and sleep so that is a good thing….but, I still feel a little crappy today with the cough still here but I’m sure it’s not a cold since I don’t feel bad enough for that….hmmmm…..I have been looking forward to the mini thaw that is happening…it is already 36 outside right now so there will be some melt today…so, the plan to wash the car tomorrow will work and I will have quarters to play pool…..man…even I am bored with this right now so I think I’ll quit here and go get some coffee…more later….
The winter solstice….
Well…not sure why I mark this day…it’s only significance is that today has the shortest amount of daylight of any day in the northern hemisphere…it’s not the mid point of winter…we still have the rest of December, then January and February to endure so winter has just gotten started here…and this year, it has started really harshly…the snow piles are now so large that I can’t see over them in the Miata…and that makes for some interesting driving these days….maybe some it will melt over the next week…it’s supposed to be almost 50 on Monday and with rain so that might help…and no really cold weather again until late next week…..I do need to wash the car Friday to get quarters for pool but I’m waiting til then so some of the salt will be off the roads…anyway…happy winter solstice….
December 21st
Well….running a little early today and I’m not sure why….did the grocery run today instead of Thursday since I had the cash and I don’t want to be in the stores after today….have enough of everything to get through til Monday so it looks like I’ll be hunkering down after pool Friday…the weather has changed for the better and it is already quite nice outside….hoping for a big melt so I can wash the car and get some quarters for pool…feel really good this morning for some reason and there is no soreness anywhere so I am confused…have taken to taking the proper dosage of my allergy medicine (which is twice what I normally take) and that has really cleared me up at night so I think I have been sleeping better since I can breathe….I have decided I am going to make both the pork roasts Saturday but I am going to marinate one of them and not the other just to see the difference…for 4 bucks each it should be a fun experiment…going to clean and get some other work done around here today….not much else to do…more later….