If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

New format and blueberry muffin french toast

Good Morning and Sunday Salutations to you!

I have to say I should have been writing this morning but I was browsing through my blog list and found a very interesting post about using blogger dynamic views.  I had tried it before but didn't like some of the features on it mainly because it wasn't very customizeable until now thanks to Elizabeth Twist and her post.

She discovered how to change up a few things thanks to other fellow bloggers.
I really like the format so I thought I'd give it another go round.  I am by no means computer savvy and  when I read things like HTML and code and css, I usually just hit the little X up in the corner.
Alas, I am growing and while taking apart an entire washing machine never crosses my mind as "not a good idea" changing HTML code seems quite daunting.  Anyways...

The new format allows readers to see all of my post just by scrolling down the page.  It can be a pain to search through many years of blogging to read something new.  Now you just scroll down until something catches your eye and click on it.
On the right sidebar is a little rectangular box and if you hover over it the box will expand with a few options like my blog roll and such.

Some of the changes that were made in the HTML code were having the featured post title not cut off if it was too long and of course my favorite, putting a semi-transparent background in. I love changing the look of my blog.  Always looking for something easier to read and better to look at.
In this day and age everyone is reading on smart phones and tablets and the format doesn't always ring true.  I could change the format with which you view my blog on your smart phone but it would just be a plain old blogger format.

I hope you like it.  I was browsing through some other sites this morning that popped up on my Facebook feed and I found some killer recipes for BBQ sauces.  Might have a few things up my sleeve for this fall and my annual canning, sausage making and all around festival of cooking that happens this time every year.
I've started stocking up on canning supplies already. :)

Tomorrow is delivery day for my new pressure canner.  A gift from Mom and Pops while I was up at the cottage visiting them.  Delivery was a bit delayed but I am so looking forward to having it in my arsenal.  No more giant pots of boiling water on the stove heating the entire house up and raising the humidity ten fold.

I will also be able to can other foods like corn and beans, peppers, venison, BBQ sauce and all other sorts of goodies that just aren't safe when using a boiling water canning method.

Now I want to cook!  I was thinking this morning about a new breakfast.  I have some blueberry muffin mix in the cupboard and if I bake it into a loaf, let it cool, slice it and dip it in an egg wash and then throw it on the skillet for a bit I will have blueberry muffin French toast.  Spread some creamy butter on it, warm maple syrup and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  Of course a couple slices of bacon on the side wouldn't hurt a bit.

I'm off to preheat the oven!
Ciao
-Bushman

Remmi is patiently waiting!
  

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Flower pics and opening lines

"Oh Sweet Saturday", he whispered to himself.

He stepped out the door into the cool morning air.
The birds were singing in the woods and the first of the morning sun rays danced with the dew that still clung to the blades of green grass.  He stretched his arms high to the sky, let out a huge awakening yawn and smiled so big it left creases in the corner of his mouth for a second or two afterward.
He drew in another deep breath.  The smell of sunrise and the freshness of the morning was more exhilarating than the mornings first cup of strong coffee.  Which he promptly turned and headed back inside to retrieve.

Coffee in hand he settled down to the business at hand.
Deep in the middle of the night he had awaken from a strange dream.  So vivid and haunting that he shivered as goose skin formed on his arms and a chill raced up his backbone.  It was now that he tried to recall but as with any dream it was fading fast.

He flipped open his laptop and thought hard.  The dream was fading faster now.  He could only remember a few things.  Sad things.  So sad that his heart began to feel heavy as if he was still in the dream.
He began to write:

page 1
Chapter 1

 Tears streamed down the little boy's face as he watched his mother being drug into the dark shadows of the alleyway.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey there!
Just wanted to pop in and say hi.  I'm not much of a Saturday poster but here I am!

I was reading an article earlier from the "Atlantic" which had interviewed Stephen King on famous first lines in books and what was so important about them.  Of course that made me want to write.
There is a magic about a books first line.  It has to hook you into reading more.  That is its job.  Break it down paragraph by paragraph and I think the most important part of a book is the first couple lines.

Above you'll see I have wrote two opening lines in one opening page.  Now I am not a literary expert by any means.  I have never even been to college.  Only made it through high school with a C average.  Didn't care about all that crap they wanted to teach me.  I just wanted to read and write.  I would read a book every other day in school.  I barely knew what was going on in class.  So what I confess to be an expert on is being a book lover.  You CAN judge a book by its cover don't let them fool you.  If I see a muscular guy with long flowing locks wearing half of his armor and leather pantaloons caressing a half naked lover with voluptuous breasts I pick that book up right away, stare at the breasts up close and put it back down.  We all know what kind of book that is.  What you can judge a book by is its opening lines.

The whole point of this post?  There isn't one.  I just wanted to see how well I can write an opening paragraph.  Also wanted to show you some pics of my flowers that are in full bloom!

This one of the sunflowers in the garden.  Its about 7 foot tall right now.


This is my Moonbeam Coreopsis in the butterfly garden


These are my Black Eyed Susans also in the butterfly garden in fact the next few pics are in the same bed


Purple Coneflower

Hostas

I had to get up on the roof and hang over the edge to paint the last 2 pieces of siding on the gable end because the ladder would have hit the power lines.  While I was up there I took a few shots




A pot I made up this spring is doing well

The washing machine is all back together again.  The house is all painted, the lawn tractor is repaired and back together, garage is cleaned and lawn is mowed.  I pulled the spare bed from the garage rafters and set that up in the spare room for our soccer coach that is coming tomorrow.  Went grocery shopping and got a hair cut.

I did most of all that on Friday and when I awoke this morning I knew that the bulk of the work was out of the way and when I stepped out on the patio I whispered to myself,
"Oh Sweet Saturday"

-Bushman



PS.  Would you keep reading?  I would.  I'll have to write it of course.




Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Maytag Man ain't got nothing on me!

"Hey babe, I think the washer is leaking", she said to me.

"OK, I'll look at it", I told her.

Now I'm not gonna lie.  I did look at it.  I confirmed it was leaking.  She didn't say, "hey babe the washer is leaking will you please fix it".  As far as I'm concerned I'm covered.

(Skip to present day)


"&%#$@  *&^$%# I asked you months ago to look at the *&^$# washer", she says again.

" I did....it leaks", I replied.

What happened next I'll leave up to you.  In my mind she leaps into my arms, covering me with sweet kisses and whispers in my ear, "If you fix it I'll make it worth your while".

In her mind it was, "click...click...boom"

So I did what any good responsible husband would do.  I procrastinated a few more days, whined a little bit and spent another day organizing my screwdriver drawer after I couldn't find the one I needed wanted.
Then I popped a beer and headed into the laundry room which by then the duck had moved in to because the water was so plentiful and cheese companies were setting up shop on account of the plentiful mold with which they would cure their expensive cheeses with.

I tore that bitch apart.  The washer, not the wife!

This is actually pretty easy I said to myself and the duck.  The cheese guys were out to lunch.

I removed the cabinet and a bunch of other parts and turned the machine on being careful to plug in the cord only once I was barefoot and ankle deep in water just as the picture in the service manual says.  I'm pretty sure that's what they meant but there was a big, bold line crossing through the picture so some of it may have been blocked out.  Hope I didn't miss anything.

Yep, I had confirmation.  It leaked.  Now to find out where it was leaking from.  Couple minutes later and I could tell it was coming from the main rubber seal which connects the hoosker do's to the hoosker don'ts.

My jaw dropped and my heart sank ( I just reached down into the water and picked it back up).  Even the duck seemed to drop a little lower in the water.

Now in your best "The Christmas Story" narrator voice repeat after me, "The dreaded main seal"

I had heard horror stories of the dreaded main seal.  A good many men had lost all their DIY mojo after failing at replacing a main seal.  Even My Father had failed at the attempt.

The thought crossed my mind to just blow up a raft, grab another beer and tell the old lady that I had installed an indoor pool.
The duck quacked in his excitement.

So I did.....not.  You know me better than that.

After a few trips to the internet I had managed to reduce the washer to a pile of parts.  All I had to do was remove the big nut that was under the agitator and separate the porcelain inner basket from the outer plastic basket.

In order to remove the giant nut you need a special tool (go figure) that I didn't own nor was I going to buy so I used a hammer and a screwdriver (which I later learned in the online video is not a good idea) and broke it in half.  Ooops!
Now the internet shows me how easy it is to just slide up the inner basket.  So I grab a hold and pull so hard the duck farted. (my story).
It won't budge.  An hour later it still hasn't budged and the duck is silently shaking his head.
Another trip to the internet tells me to pour boiling water down the shaft to separate the two pieces.
Two pots of boiling water later (duck has jumped on edge of dryer because now the water on the floor is too hot) and voila...it still won't budge.
Back to the internet and this time it says to pull up on the basket while pounding down on the drive block thingamajig.
I grab a hold of the basket, give the duck a nasty look and pull up as hard as I can and whack the drive block and poof the damn thing pops apart.
The duck flaps his wings as if he's clapping and gives a congratulatory quack.
Once removed I can see the dreaded main seal.  A few minutes later it is all apart and the seal is in hand.


Yeah I'd say it was bad and gross looking.


It was very cemented on from all the goop that had accumulated for 20 years.




I ordered the parts today.  A new seal, a new drive block and a new nut to replace the one I broke and the grand total came to $42 and change.

Had I called a service tech?  Probably $300 minimum.  Almost not worth it when this washer can be replaced for $500 or less.

I will have the parts tomorrow and everything should re-assemble easily and we she will be washing clothes by Friday morning or late Thursday.

The floor is once again dry and the duck is unhappily living with his chicken friends again.

Speaking of the duck (sort of) I finally named my chickens.  Hubba and Bubba!

I love it.  Names are hard to figure out that's why I never rush it.  It took me several weeks before I named  them.

Stay tuned for more updates at Bushman Acre.  I believe I will be harvesting sweet corn this weekend and also will be finishing the painting and begin the new flower bed.  Sunday is also the day we will have our UK soccer coaches come to live with us for a week.  We will have 2 of them for 3 days and then just one for the remaining days of the week.  Then big party on Saturday!  Woot Woot!
I also spent last weekend up North at the cottage with my parents.  Lots to tell so check back this weekend.

Happy Hump Day!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Bushman slacks off a bit!

Holy smokes is it HOT!
I haven't seen heat like this since yesterday and Monday and tomorrow!

I'm tired, dehydrated, thirsty, sweaty and I just want to sleep on the cold wooden floor of my lower level.

However, there is still work that needs to be done.  There is always work to be done.
Who knew painting an entire house could take more than 2 weeks.  Can't paint because it's raining, can't paint because it's going to rain, can't paint because it just finished raining.  Oh goodness it hasn't rained but I can't paint because the sun is shining directly on the side of the house that I need to paint, can't paint the other side because I still have to rip out the bushes, can't paint because I still have to climb up 20 ft of extension ladder and power wash the siding standing mere inches from the high voltage power lines that feeds the house while swatting hornets with one hand, running the washer with the other and hanging on with the third.....whaaaat?
Haha, this shit makes me giggle.  Now I can't paint because it's 92 degrees out and about 90% humidity.

Well it is what it is.  I'm not in a huge hurry but I want to finish this project up so I can move on to another one.  Of course my dear wife wants to buy more paint so I can finish painting the inside of the house!  (the finger marks on her neck are almost faded away now)
I want to finish the deck, I want to start canning all the beans in the garden, I want to begin the excavation of the new planting bed on the North side of the house.  I want to.....well you get my ADD.  It never ends.
I did tell her that we will need to sell this house soon because everything will be done and I won't have anything to do.  Need to buy a shittier house next time!  LMFAO!

OK here is a documentary in pictures:

With the bushes (I had ripped one out before the picture)


Without the bushes  (Hey I didn't know there was a window there!)


That was one serious bush.



Almost painted after a precarious perch on a ladder with a pressure washer!


I did get the entire front painted.  My little bro helped me paint the siding and Momma did the first coat on the garage door.

Before



After

Of course the shed had to match the house.


I sold my chicken tractor after building the permanent coop.

Louie is turning into a fine feathered friend.  (If I can keep him out of Remi's mouth)

Before


After


That is all I have done the last 2 weeks.  It's not much (and I quote" geez how long are you gonna take to do that").  I think I deserve a break.  I'm headed north with Momma on Friday to hang out with Mom and Pops at the cottage for 2 days.  Then I'll get back to work!

Don't expect much!
-Bushman


Thursday, July 11, 2013

Chasing the sun

Have you ever just felt like writing but didn't know what to write about?
I do that all the time and tonight I acted on it.  I picked the first thing that came into my mind and that was what I wrote about.  There is such a great story hidden here.  I always wish I had the time to breathe life into the words I spatter upon this page.  Take a moment and write your own story, or carry mine.
I have found some new inspiration in my writing.  I won't go into detail but every writer craves, no needs, that recognition to light his spark again.  So many times has it faltered but now is burning strong again.  Thank you brother Brian!

-Bushman



----------------------------------------


Chasing the sun



We talked for awhile.  Small things, weather, the children, the new special at the diner.  It was nervous chatter, anxious words among the serene background.

I hadn't spent this much time with her since that day in the lawyers office.  Her long brown hair had been pulled into a cold, tight bun.  Her eyes had been hardened blue steel.  Today the bun was missing and her hair tickled her shoulders, flirting with the offshore breeze.  He could smell her shampoo and it made his heart sink.

"I think this should be the last time we see each other", she spoke to the waves crashing into the beach.

He tried to speak but his lips wouldn't part and if they had, it would have been a mess and he didn't want to seem weak.  He nodded and watched a gull dive and pick something from the receding surf.

"The children will be fine", she told him.  "I think they seen it coming before we did"

They were adults now, even though they still called them children.  Sara was a junior in college and Robert had taken that job in Hong Kong and they almost never seen or heard from him.

It had been just the two of them for the last few years and he figured that was what had sank them.  All those years of raising the children had hidden all the secrets they had both carried and now that it was just the two of them the past and the future had risen from the secret dead and had been haunting them.

She paused and watched as the sun began its descent below the waves.  He took three more steps before he realized she had stopped.

"We can fix this", he said.

She remained silent for some time before answering him, "It was broken from the start".

She turned her gaze from the setting sun and looked at him.  Her eyes, once bright and laughing, had been reduced to a cold, cloudy autumn day.

"Take care", she muttered and spun in the wet sand and began walking in the opposite direction.


He stood there for quite some time, watching her and as she faded into the horizon he turned to watch the light show that bounced off the waves as the sun hid itself deep into the folds of the Western sky.  In his eyes reflected the beam of light that crossed the sky at that precise time when the sun disappeared from view.
A flash, of light, of love, of sorrow.

He turned and began to walk.  The surf crashed at his feet.  Cold at first but warming with each step.  As it reached his knees he smiled.  Everything would be fine.

The undertow ripped at his feet, threatening to pull him under.

As the water reached his chest he gasped a little but now it didn't matter.  The waves crashed into his face and he spat and coughed the salty seawater from his mouth, shook his head, took one last deep breath and disappeared beneath the surf.

The silence under the water was calming to him and he marched on deeper and deeper, chasing the sun.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Garden update

As promised, even though late, an update on the garden.  I've been so busy painting and what not I haven't had a chance to get out there.  My little brother and his girlfriend came over for 2 days and we hung out and enjoyed each others company.  I haven't seen him in over a year.

It was just too humid yesterday to paint and it appears to be that way again today.  Also with a little rain last night it is sopping out there.  So here ya go!

Garden Update video


Don't forget to up size the screen size in the lower right corner of the video screen!

Later
-Bushman

Monday, July 1, 2013

So your house wears makeup eh?

"You know I'm not good at this", he said to her.  His brows furrowed and his eyes squinted.
"Last time I ended up in Bangladesh and the time before that was jail."

She looked at him, gauging him, studying his facial expressions.  Even after all the visits to the psychiatrist and  the utopia of drugs he was on she still wasn't convinced.  The whole Bangladesh thing had cost thousands and their credit cards had been maxed out for two years with no reprieve in sight.
While that adventure had required an immediate dispersal of cash the bouts of incarceration had taken any idea of a savings account and tossed it out the window for the next 3-5 years.

He only seemed to remember the last few years, while she recalled all of them.  The frog farm, the winery and the brewery.  The investment firm and also the candy making business.  The list was endless.  His compulsive and erratic behavior had almost cost them their marriage more than once.

Despite it all she loved him.  His quirky ways, his dimpled smile and  the way his hair stood straight up one one side when he awoke in the morning.  She had never known anyone in her entire life that could even come close to him.  He had her heart and she was hopeless to think anything less.

She would keep a close eye on him this week.  Even though she would be at work while he was on a week long layoff from his job.  God willing they would make it through this week without any wacky adventures!
He just couldn't sit still.  Some form of adult ADD is what the doctor had said.  He had just laughed and said that was impossible because he was lousy at math.  Both her and the doctor had given him a puzzled look until they understood his play on the ADD acronym.  That was how he ticked.

His mind wandered, better yet, traveled to so many places in one day it would drive a normal person insane.
Constantly steering off course and changing directions.  You would be a fool to try and keep up.

She kissed him on the cheek, three times as was customary and bid him farewell for the day.  He had been up since 4:30 this morning.  Sipping hot coffee and pecking away at his laptop.
She knew the minute that she left that the man who was peeking out of the blinds, watching her pull out of the drive, would be off and running.  Heaven help us she whispered to herself as she drove away.

The blinds closed and the man inside began tick!
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Well it's here again.  My week long layoff from work.  I had planned on painting the back of the house this week but plans change.  I already did it over the weekend!
At first I didn't like the color but it's growing on me.  It has to because I don't have the cash to change the color now!  The garage turned out to be the worst.  The dry, weathered siding really absorbed the paint.  It took 3 solid coats to cover it.  It needs to be replaced but for now paint will have to do.
I painted the windows white, covering up that ugly dark brown.  It's like a new house now.  Amazing what a little make up will do.

Before


After



The bees had bored a bunch of holes in the wood siding.  All the white spots are caulking.



I still have some paint left.  We only had enough money in the budget for 5 gallons right now.  I think I have enough to paint the shed and the front of the house.

I also decided to build a more permanent chicken coop.  Louie is hell on the chicken tractor and he needs some room to swim and what not so I utilized the old dog kennel panels and started construction on a new coop last night.




I put some logs in there for the chickens to climb on plus there is a bunch of old leaves behind the shed they can scratch in.  Lots of worms and slugs too.  The shed already had a hole in the side for an old coop or kennel so  just have to pull off the patch boards and make a door.  I am also going to build Louie a small pond in the corner.  I have some leftover pond liner from my landscape days and I want to build a shallow pond by making a ring of boulders and then laying the liner inside of them.  I will build it so I can easily roll one boulder out of the way and the liner will collapse into the spot which will drain all the water out of the pond.  That way I can change the water every couple days.  Inside of the shed I will make a nest area and sleeping quarters for the birds.  I'll probably put the chicken tractor on Craig's list.

That's all for now! If it doesn't rain all day I will try and get into the garden and grab a video for you.  It is doing great!

Happy Days!
-Bushman