A Homer's Travel's Look Back At 2008

This year has been a year of change.  The last time I had this much change was back in 1987 when I graduated from college, got a job, and moved to California.  Thinking back, that year of change seemed to have gone a lot smoother than 2008.

Let's look back, shall we:

• In January I resigned from my job with mixed feelings.  We tried to see Mary in the Mojave and successfully say a Google car.  We were visited by our good friend, the Loon Whisper, but we did not get to see the Whales.  I saw snow, surfers, Trona, and turd shape pinnacles.
• In February we put our House up for sale.  Our house was shown for the first time.  We met Just a Girl and GeekHiker before celebrating Chinese New Year with a parade .  We saw the Mythbusters live with the visiting Best Man and Matron of Honor.  I held my facial hair poll.
• In March we visited Nitt Witt Ridge and Bubblegum Alley.  The Wife had a health scare which threatened to derail our moving plans.  This ended with an operation and a sigh of relief when the worst did not happen.  The six to eight weeks this hung over us (starting in January) was the worst time of my life.  After the bad news became good we went on a well deserved vacation to San Francisco .  Unfortunately the vacation was cut short by more sad news - the passing of the Wife's aunt.
• In April we flew to Omaha to look at the job and housing situation.  This turned out to be our Rock Bottom moment .  Things got better soon after with our first and only visit to our dream house which would eventually become our new home.  After walking the art and celebrating a hot fiesta, we received the first and only offer on the house.
• In May, while waiting for the house sale to become final, I visited the Poppies in the Antelope Valley.  We took our last long roadtrip with the "J" up to the Point Sur Lighthouse.  Here we ran across the mad cows.  This was our last trip to Cambria and Harmony as well.  We finally entered escrow.  The Wife got job offers.  I did my last California hike up Topa Topa.  We prepared for the move including shredding history and having a garage sale.   I went to the Indiana Jones movie with GeekHiker.  The best friend "J" became the bestest friend "J" when she got us tickets to the Foxboro Hot Tubs (aka Green Day).
• In June the big move began.  Dumpsters were filled, paper shredders were killed, and I pledged to no longer be a paper pack rat (so far so good).  The movers came and packed us up - best moola we've ever spent.  We got forked by the "J".  We left California, stayed In Vegas , visited family in Rifle , and stayed with the Loon Whisperer in Columbus.  We moved in our new home and slowly started unpacking.  We discovered Robins under our deck.  Homer tries to cope with the rumble of thunder.  We bought our new big screen TV and I was entertained by the flashing of fireflies.  Heavy freakish winds left us in the dark.
• In July we went to the Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha's own Qwest Center.  Independence day was an horizon full of fireworks followed by a visit to the in-laws lake house.  Another anniversary (11) was celebrated.  The robins hatched and flew the coop.  I went to a free Feist concert at memorial park but wasn't impressed.  With all the weather we have here I had to buy a weather station for the backyard. I turned 45 in middle of a hot and muggy summer.  I took time to walk around downtown Omaha - the first of many such city walkabouts.  The Wife spends a week at Ellis Island at a cool workshop.
• In August I upgraded my network resulting in a brain-fart induced frustration that prevented me from going to Jazz on the Green.  I marveled at the huge spiders under our deck.  We had a great little family reunion at the Haverhill Social Club and the GodSon followed us home for some Omaha sight seeing.  The GodSon was followed by the Matron of Honor and Best Man's visit shortly after.  I managed to go see another concert - Orenda Fink.  I spent two weeks in an Olympic stupor.  I finally started to hike again with a walk through Boyer Chute.  I hooked myself to the weather grid and we survived the Loon Whisperer and her three girls.
• In September I set myself up for failure.  I Started the 100 push up program ... twice ... and stopped prematurely ... twice.  I never got past 60.  I did lock myself out of the house.  The bad was balanced with the selling of some of my pictures.  We visited the interesting town of Walnut, IA and I ended up with a speeding ticket.
• In October I walked the new Pedestrian Bridge.  The Wife's birthday was celebrated in uproarish style at a German restaurant in Minneapolis with the MoH, BM, and family.  We had our first heavy frost.  We enjoyed an awesome Joan Osborne concert and were disappointed with the Steve Miller Band.  I started to ride my bike until the weather put a halt to that.
• In November I posted everyday proving that quantity does not necessarily equal quality.  The leaves changed colors.  Obama was elected president.  I started cooking on Tuesdays.  I investigated the ringing in my ears and discovered nothing.  The In-Laws visited and the Jell-O flotation mystery was finally solved.  Christmas started early when I put up the tree before Thanksgiving.  We had a crowded Thanksgiving at the Brother-In-Law's before taking 8 members of the family home with us for some more celebrating.
• In December I posted several pictures that fit the Christmas season.  I  caught a cold from the Wife.  I took pictures of the closest full moon in some 13 years.  We had our first real snow though most of it was ice.  Christmas was celebrated at our place.
• The value of our old house in California dropped 6%.  Our new house in Omaha went up 3.7%.  (WOO HOO!)
• I managed to do 17 hikes totaling 161.77 miles this year, less than half of the 40 I did in 2007.  I found 91 geocaches also less than half of the ones found in 2007.  I did start riding my bike and managed to add 54.78 miles to my ledger before the wind and cold stopped me.  I will try to start it up again as early as I can next year.
  
• This year I managed to read 9 books this year - one better than last year.

The coming year is going to be one of preparation for me.  I want to prepare myself for the 2010 Pilgrimage of Saint James.  There are a couple trails including the Steamboat and Cowboy trails that should provide good training.  I also intend to do more Omaha walkabouts to add miles to my legs in between bike rides.

I want to continue taking pictures.  It is something that I enjoy doing.  While my first photo safari was a bust, I intend to do more.  Who knows, maybe I can find a money making opportunity in there somewhere.

Most importantly, I'm wishing for a less stressful 2009, especially for the Wife.

Here's to a Happy and Prosperous New Year for all.

May all your dreams come true in 2009.

Christmas ... The Day After

Leading up to Christmas this year, I was feeling rather neutral about the whole thing.  I wasn't excited and hopeful as I sometimes feel before the holiday.  Neither did I have the feeling of dread and foreboding that I  feel at other times.  It felt like just another day.  Maybe it was the lack of Christmas music - I haven't heard a lot of Christmas music this year.  I think I mostly avoided it but it seemed easier to get away from than in years past.

We had our tree and decorations up early this year.  I thought this might spur the holiday spirit but it didn't do much really.
I did my shopping relatively late but managed to buy most of the Wife's gifts a week or so before Christmas.  I usually start at the beginning of November but this year it wasn't until the beginning of December.  I bought a Miracle Icon bracelet fro the Wife.  When I went to the store, the artist was there hosting a special event.  She saw me walking in with a print out of the bracelet and jumped up and walked over to me.  She said when a man comes in holding a piece of paper, I know he needs my help (I think I may have been the only man there).  She helped me pick out the bracelet, restrung it because "that bead isn't very pretty," and helped me find the appropriate medal from the heap she had in four untidy boxes.  It was very nice and all, I just wish the Wife could've been there.  She would have liked to meet the artist.

Things finally turned around when the Parents-in-Law arrived on Christmas eve.  We opened our stockings and things started to feel more festive despite the crappy allergy attack that kept me up most of Christmas Eve night sniffling and snorting and wheezing for breath.
On Christmas Day the Wife's brother T_E and family showed up.  At the Wife's request I'd connected my laptop up to the big screen and ran a slide show of all my Flickr pictures.  I have so many pictures (3,804 and increasing)  that it took almost four hours to go through them all.  For ambiance, I connected the 'puter to the stereo and played Christmas music.  I received compliments on my picture taking which always makes me feel good.  The pictures and the music set the atmosphere for a relaxing Christmas dinner that, despite the abundance of cooks in the kitchen, turned out pretty good.  My Sugar Cookies seemed to have been a hit.

T_E and family went home and the Wife and I took the Parents-In-Law down to see the million lights decorating Omaha'a old market area.  It's pretty amazing down there.
All in all a pretty good Christmas.  The visiting family lifted my spirits and I felt the holiday spirit more with them there.  The house, now that every one has left, is quiet once more.
Now for the loot.  I must have been good because I received some cool stuff:

• Snowshoes.  Unfortunately it's 58°F (!!) outside as I type this and I expect most of the snow to be gone in a day or two.  I'm sure there will be more soon.
• Camera Tripod.  Now my night/low light shots won't be all wobbly.
• Light weight Backpack.  I wanted this for my 2010 Spain Pilgrimage.  I want to start training this spring on the Steamboat and Cowboy trails.  The pack is versatile and very light - 2 lbs 7 oz.
• Balaclava.  Now I can ride the bike in colder weather and, if the stock market really takes a dive, I can fashionably rob banks.
• Borders Gift Card.  I transformed this into four books - reviews to follow sometime in the coming year.  Thanks Mom!
• Amazon Gift Card. I will transform this one into music.  I haven't chosen which music yet.
• Scheels Gift Card.  Closest thing to an REI in these parts.  I think some of it will go into some good walking shoes.  I think they would be better for long distance hiking than boots, especially since the trail won't be that rugged.
• Pastry Wheel.  I was looking for one of these when I made lasagna.  Couldn't find one.  The Matron of Honor comes through once again.  Now I can make fancy ravioli.  Thanks MoH!
• Twizzlers.  A traditional gift from the Mom.  Wouldn't be Christmas without them.  Thanks Mom!  (Yep, they are open but I haven't finished them yet.)
• A generous donation to the Wife's and my fun money from the Parents-In-Law.  We will be sure to use it for fun stuff.

I hope all you readers out there had as good a Christmas as we did.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas To All!

Brrrrrrr!

The high today is supposed to be 1°F, the low -9°F.  To make it interesting, the high wind chill will be -13°F, the low -26°F.  Yippee Skipee!

We'll be venturing out into it all briefly.  The Wife and I are visiting my Mom's to celebrate Christmas and a Birthday.  We'll be the ones running between the warm car and the warm house.

Snow Ice Day

Last night we got about an inch of sleet/freezing rain followed by an inch of snow.  You know it's coming down when the sleet is hitting the window so hard you can hear it over the TV and the thunder scares the dog.  Yep, sleet and snow with thunder - not a good sign.  The Wife's school closed resulting in extension of her winter holiday by a day.

An extra day of vacation would have been a good thing except the weather also interfered with the Wife's weekend plans.  She was planning to join her dad, uncle, and the Matron Of Honor in some Ice Fishing.  With the bad weather she decided to cancel her fishing expedition.  I'm sure they'll reschedule.

People have called me smart before but none have called me wise.  I had some Christmas shopping to get done and I had all day Thursday before the storm to get it done.  Instead of doing the wise thing, I followed the way of the procrastinator and payed the price.  Today I spent over two hours shoveling snow and chipping ice so that I could get my car out of the garage to do my last minute shopping.  I finished my shopping but I'm pretty sure that I will feel sorry tomorrow as I nurse my sore muscles.

Today's Lesson:  I learned if you kick a plastic snow shovel you can get through an inch of ice but eventually the shovel will break.

Car Noises ... Gone!

Yesterday I posted that the Wife's car was making a noise that sounded like something metallic was dragging under the car.  This morning as I backed out to drive to the dealer I heard one squeak followed by ... nothing.  Yep, the noise was gone.  

I hate it when you go to get something fixed and the mystery noise, twitch, pain, whatever, disappears.  Is it fixed or will it come back when it is most inconvenient.

I still went to the dealer and I was happy to say that nothing fell off the car like I'd expected.  The guy at the dealer though we might have had a rock or something somewhere where it rattled when the car was moving.  I don't buy that but I don't have a better explanation and I'm happy that it didn't cost us anything.  I guess this is better than having the wheel fall off on the way to the dealer but I would've liked to have had a more informative closure instead of some grease monkey's guess based on my inadequate description.

A Snow Shovelling, Snack Baking Good Time

We had our first real snow today with about three to four inches falling on and off today. This afternoon I shoveled snow for only the second time of my life. I expect to be doing it quite a lot over the next few months. It took me about a half hour to clear off the driveway, sidewalks, and entryway which is perfect - I'll have no problem clearing the driveway between the time I wake the Wife and when she heads out to work. I'd been a little worried that I wouldn't have enough time. I don't want her to have to shovel snow.

While the snow fell I baked some banana bread for me and some sugar cookies for the Wife. This was the first time I baked these things from scratch. The banana bread turned out okay but I think I put too many chocolate chips in the batter and I may have over-baked them. I haven't tasted the cookies yet - I'm saving them for the Wife - but the cookie dough was great yummy great.

This would have been a perfect day except when the wife was leaving, her car made a horrendous metallic screech. I thought something was dragging but there isn't any indication. The Wife ended up taking my car to work. The Honda dealer is guessing it's the brakes. We'll see tomorrow when I take the car in. I hope it is something simple like the brakes but my worry is that the wheel will fall off half way to the dealership. That would really make my day.

A Weekend Of Normalcy, Music, And Healing

Well, it seems that sometime over this busy weekend I managed get past the worst of this persnickety bug that I've been struggling with.  I think the hump was Saturday night.

On Saturday the Wife joined her friend the Loon Whisperer (LW) and LW's sister for a movie and some Christmas shopping.  I wasn't invited and that was fine with me as she was shopping for my Christmas gifts, the movie was a hard-core chick flick, and I still wasn't feeling too hot.  I spent the day laying around on the couch trying my best to get well.  The Wife had a great day.  She described Saturday as the first normal day she'd had since we moved.  This makes me happy.  Maybe we are finally finding some sense of normalcy after the year of change.

By 6:00 PM I was feeling pretty bad.  Fortunately that seems to have been the peak of my crappitude.  Maybe it was the leftover homemade pizza.  Maybe it was something else, but I started to feel better.  The girls got back around 8:00 PM and by the time we hit the hay, just after mid-night, I was feeling much better.  

On Sunday we said our good byes to the Loon Whisperer, who spent the night at our place, before heading out to the Wife's cousin's hockey game.  Unfortunately we got the start time wrong and we underestimated how on-time they would be so by the time we got there the game was already underway and we missed a bit of the game.  The game, what we saw of it, was pretty good.  His team lost by one but it wasn't due to a lack of trying.

Sunday afternoon we attended a performance of Stomp at the Orpheum , a great old theater in downtown Omaha.  It was pretty good.  Sometimes it was hard to believe that they were making good music with junk.  It was kind of amazing.  You have to have a taste for percussion to enjoy this show.  I enjoyed the show though it got a little old at times.  The mix of humor in with the music worked well.  We both enjoyed the show.

The day was topped off with the Survivor finale.  We were satisfied having Bob win.  He played the game the best in my opinion.

While I was feeling better on Sunday, the temp was dropping.  The high on Sunday was around 49°F at 3:49 AM and dropped to 3°F by 10:00 PM.  It's going to be a cold week ... just like I like them ... but this week, no cold to bring me down.

Makes Me Want To Howl!!!

That crazy Moon makes me want to grow a lot of facial hair and Howl!

That could also be the virus talking. I feel like crap.

Sharing Sometimes Sucks

When I grew up, I was told that sharing was a good thing.  I don't think they were thinking about viruses.

The Wife, a teacher exposed to all kind of high school cooties, brought some of her work with her last Friday.  For the next three days she was miserable.  Two days after getting all better, it's my turn.

My nose is running.  My head feels like it's going to explode in a cloud of snot and brain gunk.  Last night I got little sleep.  I kept trying to shift around so that my sinuses could drain to relieve the pressure but I wasn't very successful.  I had some minor body aches that kept me from getting comfortable.  I was very tempted to get my drill and shove it up my nostril in an attempt to unplug my nose.

I'm now all drugged up and I feel a little better.  If it progresses like the Wife's, I'll be through it by Saturday.  Until then, I'll catch up on my CSI reruns and Sniff*Snort*Achoo*Drip*Ugh.

Some things shouldn't be shared.

Our Christmas Tradition

Each year, the Wife and I buy new ornaments for the Christmas Tree.  It's our little tradition.  This year the Wife went with some very colorful and sparkly balls.  I usually shy away from the traditional balls.  I prefer Santas, snowmen, and the occasional reindeer.  There have been exceptions to this rule like this globe ball I bought a few years ago in Solvang.

Last night after a satisfying meal at the noisy and crowded Texas Roadhouse , home of the annoying singing and dancing waiting staff, we went to World Market for some stocking stuffing shopping and I took this opportunity to buy my ornament.  They had a pretty good selection and I narrowed it down to two choices: A sparkly, hot-pink, winged pig and a gift-toting Santa riding a giant rooster.  My decision was made when the Wife said the rooster riding Santa was "twisted".  I like twisted.

Three Wise Santas

Three Wise Santas

Whittled by the Wife's Uncle T_O

She Lost The Snowball Fight

She lost the snowball fight.

30 Days - I Made It!

Last month I set a goal to post every day for a month. To my surprise I succeeded and posted every day in November. I can't say I enjoyed the experience as there were several days that I agonized about what I should post about. I think the result was a a month full of sub-par posts. Well, they weren't all sub-par but there were a few that didn't quite work.  Pressure does not induce quality.

Now that we've started a new month, I think I will return to a less frequent posting rate. I won't promise an increase in quality, just a decrease in quantity.

What A Great Past Few Days

And a quiet calm settled over the Homer-Dog household.  The Thanksgiving weekend is coming to a close and the visiting family - The Best Man, Matron of Honor (MoH), Godson, Altar Boy, The Altar Boy's Wife, D_A, (MoH's brother), D_E (MoH's other brother) and D_E's Wife - Have all hit the road.  The place is still and quiet.

The last three days have been filled with fun, family, "Frosty Balls" (spoken in a matronly British accent naturally), and a strange melodic harmony of whistling and humming coming from the back of the rented SUV (Is that the Bohemian Rhapsody ?).  We walked the pedestrian bridge and did our best to make is sway (We met an employee of the firm that built the bridge. Se was visiting the bridge for the first time).  Thanks to the drizzly wet Saturday we didn't manage to walk around the old market very much but we did have some ice cream and I think we single-handedly kept the beer and ale economies afloat (This made Mass later that evening particularly entertaining as the Wife and the MoH fought off the giggles).

At the homestead our time was spent drinking more beer, making and eating pasta and pork (lots and lots of pork products), playing scrabble (I lost - twice), and talking about stuff.  The talking seemed a little limited when compared to our past discussions.  I think it was because the election was over and was no longer a interesting topic.  Since this was a gathering of the geek side of the family (I'm included in that category), there were at least three laptops open at any one time during our down time.  I fought the urge and kept it from being four laptops. This came in handy when we had a question to answer (Q: Did Hernando DeSoto actually reach DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge? A: No).

The night was livened up a bit as the Wife insisted in having our guests open their Christmas presents.  I can't say I agreed with that since it was way to soon for presents but I was voted down and they had a good point in that the Wife and I wouldn't be able to see them open the presents if they took them home unopened.  The best presents were the three Mexican wrestling masks we gave the Altar Boy, Best Man, and GodSon.

The gathering slowly wound down and we went to bed anticipating an early morning.  Sometime overnight we had our first snow.  Homer had never seen snow before but he took it in stride and went out and did number 1, number 2, and a brief search for crabapples under the tree.  The snow was on the ground and not falling so I'm still curious how he will react to snowflakes.

As usual, this was a fun filled gathering.  Christmas will be at our house this year so we get to do it all over again in a few weeks.

P.S. After the GodSon and Altar Boy left, the Wife laid on the couch to take a well deserved nap.  She promptly jumped up and ran to get the Febreze to spritz the cushions down.  Your sphincters rock!  I am in awe ... and grateful your a$$es are back in Minnesota.

A Friday Of History, Birding, and Beer

Yesterday was fun.  We had a lazy morning before heading out to DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge .  Before we left, the Wife made everyone a big breakfast that was yummy in the tummy.

We met the Wife's brother (T_E) at the DeSoto visitor's center and we walked through the excellent display of items recovered from the Bertrand Steamboat.  The Bertrand had been loaded full of supplies for the mining communities along the Missouri River in Montana when it got stuck.  Here are a few pictures (most of my pictures didn't come out due to the low lighting and the lack of a tri-pod).

After walking through the displays and watching a very brief video about the excavation of the Bertrand and rancid lard and butter, we went to the observation areas and looked at the geese.  There were nowhere near the numbers that we'd hoped (500,000 have stopped there in past migratory seasons), but we did see quite a few.  We watched as a flock or two came in for a landing, landing on the ice covered lake.  The refuge is also known for migratory predators and we managed to see five bald eagles.  Most were perched in distant trees too far for a picture.  We left the visitor's center and drove to another bird observation blind but literally, the geese flew away just as we pulled up.  I guess they heard we were coming. Pictures of the geese can be found here along with a couple other DeSoto pictures I'd taken earlier.

At that point we'd had enough history and birding so we went back to Omaha where, since our party included the Best Man, Matron of Honor, the GodSon, and the Altar Boy, we found a bar and enjoyed some imported beer.  The Best man chose Crescent Moon Ale House.   The place was dominated by husker fans and it was a close game so the place was pretty loud.  We ordered some beer and appetizers and talked loudly over the cheers.

For Dinner we went to Spaghetti Works where just about everyone over ate - especially me.  I was more stuffed there than I was on Thanksgiving.  Being stuffed, we decided to walk some of the food off and we strolled through the old market.  The downtown area was all lit up with Christmas lights.

We walked around ogling the lights and some of us went down the long slides near the Gene Leahy Mall.  I added a few pictures I took to my Omaha Flicker set.

Today, after another lazy morning we're probably going back to the Old market area to browse the stores, ride the slide again, walk the pedestrian bridge, and visit the Durham museum.

Homer And His Little Friends

Just a short post as we've got guests to entertain and feed.

Thanksgiving turned out to be awesome. We had a great time. The youngins did the wii thing while the adults chatted and played games.

The food was abundant and delicious. Kudos to T_E for an great spread and wonderful hospitality.

Homer greeted everyone multiple times and was joined by much bigger Sophie and the newest member of the clan, a 12 week old chocolate lab named Charlie. Homer is definitely showing his age. He couldn't quite keep up with the Young pups. Everyone was cute. Even the old Fart Homer.

Today on our schedule: Eating, Birding, Steamboat Detritus Observing, and Drinking.

Thanksgiving Throng

Today is Thanksgiving here in the U. S. of A.   Homer, The Wife, and I are spending it at my brother-in-law's (T_E) and an estimated 29 members of the Wife's family (there will be 31 of us total).  Fortunately, I really like the Wife's Family or I think I'd go a little crazy.  After the usual feast, eight of them will follow us home where the festivities will be celebrated for a few more days.

I hope everyone has a memorable and Happy Thanksgiving.

Dack The Halls With LED Lights

I finally got the lights up this afternoon.  I was tired of trying to figure out which bulb was dead every year (there were always dead sections of lights) so this year we bought LED lights which are more robust, longer lasting, and more energy efficient.  They are very white and have a slight bluish tinge which, frankly, make them look more like ice.

The lights went up fairly easy.  A previous owner had put in screws along the eves which made it simple to hang the strings of lights.  The only hitch was that I'd never been on the roof of this house.  To be safe, the Wife was outside and watched me as I put them up.  Fortunately 911 was not needed.

We are now as ready as we can be for the company that's coming.

Book: Glenn Reynolds' " An Army Of Davids"

I'm doing better finding time to read.  My latest read was Glenn Reynolds' "An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths".

The theme of this book was that technology has empowered individuals (the "Davids") to take on the large corporations and governments (the "Goliaths").  This happens to be a premise that I agree with but I don't think Reynolds did a very good job explaining the concept.  
He starts off well enough but before you know it he veers off on a tangent and the book becomes a smorgasbord of geek nirvana inducing technologies.  Chapters covering gaming, nanotechnology, life extension and biotech immortality, commercial space exploration, and the arrival of the singularity take up the last half of the book.  While I understand that some of these technologies help empower the little guy, the way Reynolds presents them seems disjointed and disconnected from the main argument.

Glenn Reynolds is a blogger (instapundit.com).  As soon as I started reading this book I could tell.  There was a very bloggy feel to the writing.  Not bad but it felt slightly less ... polished.  There is even a chapter on good blogging which felt out of place.

If you want an overview of some cool technologies, you may like this book.  If you're looking for an in depth discussion of the power of the individual over the giant corporations and governments, you probably should look somewhere else.  I'd give this book a B-.

Bonehenge

Homer, like all good dogs, likes to chew bones. In his case, a large Nylabone. Unlike many dogs, Homer has a hidden talent. When Homer's done chewing, he often leaves his bone like this:

Our Tree Has Big Balls

After I built the tree on Friday, the Wife and I spent Saturday night decorating it.  I came out pretty nice.  Today, the Wife began decorating the rest of the inside of the house.  I'll probably post new Christmas pictures as the date approaches.

This is the earliest we've ever decorated.  Part of the reason is that we have guests staying after Thanksgiving.  The other part is the weather.  We need to get stuff up outside before the snow comes.  We've seen a few flurries oer the past few days.

In the past, outside decorations were limited to icicle lights and a large wreath over the garage.  For our new house we added decorations for the small oak tree in front of our house.  I bought some big decorations (Big Balls - okay, get the laughs out of your system) and we hung them in the bare tree limbs.  I think it looks like the sad Charlie Brown tree.  I had some trouble hanging the top most blue ball.  I truly expect to watch it get blown off the tree in a high wind and I'll end up running down the street chasing the bouncing ball.

Tomorrow I buy lights for the outside.  I think I'll go with the LED icicle lights.  Help the planet while we decorate.

The Choice Was Made For Us

Some choices are yours to make.  Others are made for you.

Ever since we went to Peru in 2006, we've had the travel bug.  Back then, two years ago, we chose our next destination: Thailand.  We picked a tour offered by the same company that did our Peru tour: Hill Tribes of Thailand.  We planned to add a side trip to Angkor Wat. It was going to be grand.

I've been looking forward to this trip.  Originally we were planning to do it Summer 2008 but we postponed it to 2009 when we decided to move back to the mid-west.  Postponing it made me ache.   I was ready to go somewhere exotic and new.  Native and historic.  I'm not sure I could have been more excited.

Then the economy soured.  Was it right to take an expensive trip when our savings were shrinking and the economy was circling the toilet bowl?  I was feeling uncertain and I discovered that the Wife was right there with me.  We both decided that it wouldn't be right but we both really wanted to go and we kept putting off the final decision.  We were torn.  Then the world stepped in and made the decision for us.

I checked the tour schedule and found that it was not given during the summer.  That pretty much killed our trip to Thailand.  The summer is the only time the Wife and I have time to travel together.  I'm still bummed.

Our backup plan is to vacation locally.  We're looking at a trip to Yellowstone and Arches National Park.  Not exactly exotic but we will have to make do with what we have and make the best of it.

Today I Built A Tree ...

Today I built a tree in my living room. A symbol of the approaching season of peace, joy, and first and foremost, hope. A time for peaceful change that brings us all joy ... I hope.

Photo-Less Photo Safari

I've been planning to do photo safari in the area.  Essentially I would drive around looking for something to photograph.  I've seen things while on drives, old buildings, old and interesting signs, landscapes that take your breath away, and, not having my camera, I've missed them all.  I figured this would be a chance to just wander around seeing what caught my eye and taking some good pictures.  Turns out nothing caught my eye.

I drove around south of Omaha through small towns and rural areas.  The landscape of farm fields were very bleak with most crops having already been harvested.

My original plan had me going through seven or eight small (tiny) towns.  After passing through the first two without seeing anything that I found interesting, I took to the rural, gravel road and ended up skipping three of the towns on my list.  Taking the rural roads took me back when I worked on my Uncle's farm.  Despite the nostalgia, I saw nothing picture-worthy.

West of the Omaha I briefly got lost on the rough dirt and gravel roads. I always had my bearings but I wasn't sure where I was going to come out.  I ended up going in a circle.

Another part of my plan was to find a small diner or cafe in one of these small towns to have lunch.  That didn't happen either.  I ended up getting home three hours sooner than I'd planned.  I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich washed down with a diet cherry-vanilla Dr. Pepper while I had a mild pity-party.  It was mild as I really didn't have any concrete goals to miss but I was still disappointed about the lack of pictures.

I'm not sure if it was the lack of picture taking opportunities or my frame of mind that resulted in no pictures.  What I find intersting often changes with my mood. I'm going to do this again sometime soon and this time I will plan my route better.  Maybe next time I will have something to show for the hours driven and gasoline burned.

Crunch

I went on a bike ride this morning.  The wind was a little more cooperative and, since it was a north wind, I headed north-west on the Big Papio trail.  It was nice to be on a different trail.  I usually head south on the Keystone trail because of the wind direction.  This trail, after passing through a park with soccer fields, baseball diamonds, Frisbee golf disc pole holes, and, something I haven't seen before, a soap box derby track, goes through a rather industrial area of Omaha.  I did about 10 miles and would have done more but the trail was closed where it went under 84th street due to road construction.  

One thing I passed along the way was a lot full of smashed up cars.  This one caught my eye:

So, what would it take to fold a car in half? I guess the owner of this car may have a good idea. Almost begs for a caption contest doesn't it?

Holes In My Memory

I've been a little forgetful today.  It started with a rather minor oversight.  I was making noodles for my attempt at lasagna tonight.  My plan was to mix all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.  I for the whole wheat flour completely.  Not a major thing but irritating.

Next it was my afternoon bike ride.  It was a short bike ride.  Just under seven miles.  I forgot how wind can turn a bike ride into a life threatening ordeal.  Winds were around 15 mph gusting into the 20s and I cursed myself as I struggled in second gear against the chilly wind.

When I managed to get back home, I saw that I'd forgotten to close the garage door.  Fortunately everything was in it's place.

Tonight as I was sticking my lasagna in the oven,  I realized I'd forgotten the mozzarella cheese.  I managed to fix it somewhat but this was the first time I missed something from a recipe.  The lasagna turned out okay and I really shouldn't complain.  I thought it was a little bland but the Wife said it was delicious.  Next time I'll have to experiment and spice it up a little bit.

All these incidents are relatively minor and no damage was done but I always worry about forgetfulness.  Every now and then I completely blow off things.  The worse was completely forgetting that I'd gone to a James Taylor concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl.  I have ZERO recollection of that event.  Did I have a good time?  DId it suck?  I have no idea.

Makes me wonder what else I've lost.  

What Is It #2?

OK boys and girls, time, once again, for a pop quiz.  We have a tree in our backyard that has some type of fruit/nut on it.  The tree drops its leaves but most of the fruit is still hanging.  The fruit is an orangish-brown, a little over an inch in diameter, and is hard.  Here is a picture of the fruit:

So, what kind of tree is it?  If you know what it is, please let me know in the comments.

Jell-O Experiments

On Saturday, with the Mother-In-Law watching and using her ingredients, I made orange Jell-O with mandarin oranges.  As you can see in this picture, unlike my other attempts, the oranges floated.

I think I've solved the riddle.  I always use sugar-free Jell-O.  The Mother-In-Law brought sugared Jell-O.  This will be confirmed when the  Mother-In-Law tries it with sugar-free Jell-O.

Saturday Activities And Coffee Maker Trevails

Saturday is turning out to be a quiet day here in Homer's. The father in-law is watching football (Notre Dame, naturally) with the Wife. The Mother-In-Law is playing Freecell on a hand held game we gave her for Christmas a while ago.  I went down in the basement to read a little.   Homer joined me as he usually does.

I started the day with a trip to Wal-Mart to replace the carafe of our coffee maker.  The Wife and I don't drink coffee but we got one as a wedding gift and it has been used to make coffee for guests over the years.  The carafe cracked - probably a result of the move.  A bought a replacement ($10.57)  and ... it didn't fit.  With a sigh and a "take two" I went back to the store to return the carafe and redo my search.

I was lucky as there wasn't any line at the customer service desk and I got my refund after a 30 second wait.  I went back to the coffee maker area - bigger and better laid out than all the other small appliances in the store - testament to the popularity of coffee - and realized they didn't have any carafes that fit our eleven year old machine.  Sometime during the last ten years they changed the capacities of the carafe from 10 cups to 12 cups and they didn't tell me. I looked at the machines and realized that the machines only cost a few bucks more than the carafe alone. I picked out the cheapest one ($9.60).

So that's the exciting day I'm having so far. Tonight, after a great home cooked meal, we see the Niece dance.

Visitors Coming

The parents-in-law are visiting this weekend.  They're coming out to see the Wife's niece, who is attending a local college, in a play/dance thing.  This will be their first visit to our new digs.  As a result this morning, I've been a whirlwind of cleaning fury.

The Mother-in-law has told the Wife that we will be doing some Jell-O experimentation while she's here.  As you may remember, when I make Jell-O with mandarin oranges, the oranges sink instead of float.  If her oranges float, I don't know what I'll do.

I've Got That Ringing Feeling

I have a ringing in my left ear.  I've had it since March.  It's high pitched and wavers a little bit.  It's not that loud and is easily ignored but it never goes away.  It doesn't get stronger either.  It just rings.

I went to an ear specialist yesterday.  He did what ear specialists do: he looked in my ears (they look healthy) and did the ol' press the button when you hear the beep test (My hearing is normal though I have some high frequency hearing loss in my left ear).  Then they did a test I'd never heard of before.  The sat me in a comfy easy chair, plugged some ear phones in my ear and attached an electrode to my forehead.  They darkened the room, asked me to relax, and then blasted load buzzing clicks in my ears.  This tests the circuitry between my ear and my brain.  Apparently some ear ringing can be caused by a tumor on this connection.  There was no evidence of a tumor.

The doctor looked at the results, looked at me, then told me to get used to it.  Apparently everyone has background noise in their auditory system.  It's called Tinnitus.  I happen to have a lower sound-to-noise ratio.  Since everything looked okay, there was not much I could do about it except turn the TV or radio up to drown it out.  Poop.

The doctor did say that stress can sometimes cause or exacerbate tinnitus.  All the stress we had earlier this year, with the Wife's medical issue, the passing of the Wife's Aunt, the selling of the house, and the moving to a new state, probably has contributed to the ringing.  The stock market and the economic news hasn't helped much either.

I'd take up meditation if this ringing in my ear wasn't so distracting.

Chef Homér-Dog

One of my goals that I'd set for myself before we moved back was to learn how to cook.  As with many of the goals I had, getting myself started has been more difficult than I anticipated.  

I've really never had formal cooking training.  Growing up I really didn't pay attention or participate in making dinner.  In college I lived in the dorm and ate in the cafeteria.  When I was single my cooking consisted  in burgers, Mac & Cheese, and stuff that came in cans or boxes.  In other words, very limited bachelor cooking.  I think my main problem was I had little confidence in my cooking skills.

Since I got married I've been exposed more and more to cooking.  The main culprit here was the Food Network.  The more I watched, the more interested I was but the confidence still wasn't there.  Then, a month ago, the great motivator of my life, the Wife, suggested that I help her out by making one meal a week.  It was the push I needed.

I started out with a suggestion from the Wife: Pizza.  Homemade dough made in our bread maker, pepperoni, cheese, and Newman's Own Sockerooni sauce.  I didn't really make it but I did help the Wife so that I could learn.  It came out pretty good and I know how to do it now.

The second meal was one I'd made on occasion when I was single: chicken, rice, and peas. A simple meal.  It wasn't anything fancy but it was good and I did it by myself.

At this point my tiny repertoire of meals ran out.  I decided to try something I liked but didn't have very often: Scalloped Potatoes.  I'd only had them once since I got married and that was at a restaurant.  Thanks to the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook they turned out very good.  They went well with the chicken and whole green beans I served them with.

Last night I went for broke and made Beef Stroganoff over homemade noodles.  I used the Wife's new pasta machine that I got her for her birthday.  The noodles turned out great and the Beef Stroganoff was down right yummy.  I just finished the leftovers and, like most prepared foods, tasted even better reheated.

For next week the Wife has requested Lasagna.  Sounds like a challenge and more time on the pasta machine.

Now that my confidence is building, it's time to look for inspiration.  Top Chef Season 5 starts tonight and the Wife and I will be watching.