Winter Storm – December 2009

So it started yesterday morning around 6:00 AM with some flurries, then turned to a steady snow.  This is the backyard as it all began. Sim and I headed out to get bagels for the family. I felt the Swedish side of me crave cream cheese with large slabs of lox with red onion. A quick stop at the grocery store for a few things and then we quickly hustled home.  By 10:00 AM there was 4 inches on the ground and the air was full of large flakes. Everything was getting a nice coating of snow.  THEN the wind started and the snow started coming down very heavy. By 3:00 PM the sky was darken and the winds were blowing around 35 Mph.  We were in near white out conditions almost from then on. I did a quick run to Home Depot for salt, and did the first go round of shoveling of the driveway and front walkway. By nightfall the snow was 20” inches and it was still falling heavily. Drifts were making it almost impossible to open the house doors. This morning The doors were snowed in again and after clearing the front door, porch and the front walkway, the final snow count was an easy 30 inches. I’m including a few photos for your viewing pleasure.

the front porch

another view

and another

another

yet another

from inside the garage door.

The new Bird igloo

The backyard going left to right

like the foot of snow on the shed

Those lumps as our juniper bushes

Fire pit and bird bath

The view form the front door of the neighbors

The front yard and walk way.

yes its filling back in as it is STILL snowing. Lightly but yes still snowing. Should be stopping soon as the sun is coming out. going to be a big, bright, beautiful day.

Recall on Slim-Fast

Well it does help you lose weight….

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Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Unilever Conducts Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Slim-Fast® Ready-to-Drink Products in Cans Due to Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Anita Larsen
201-894-7760

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 3, 2009 - Unilever United States, Inc., in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is conducting a nationwide voluntary recall of all Slim-Fast® ready-to-drink (RTD) products in cans, due to the possibility of contamination with Bacillus cereus, a micro-organism, which may cause diarrhea and possibly nausea and/or vomiting. The probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.

The products were sold in stores nationwide.

Product Description:

The products are packaged in paperboard cartons and contain four, six or 12 steel cans that are 11 FL OZ (325 mL) each. Individual cans are also sold in certain retail outlets. The recall involves all Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans, regardless of flavor, Best-By date, lot code or UPC number. A listing of all RTD recalled products is attached to this press release.

No other Slim-Fast® products are affected by this recall. No Slim-Fast® powdered shakes, meal bars, or snack bars are affected by this recall.

The recall was initiated after the company conducted quality testing on Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans. Out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling all RTD products in cans that are currently in distribution centers, on-shelf or in back rooms in retail outlets or in consumers’ homes. The company is in the process of identifying and correcting the production issue, and will resume production and shipment of the product when the issue has been addressed and corrected.

Consumers who have purchased Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans are urged to discard them immediately and contact the company at 1-800-896-9479 for a full refund. The Consumer Services Center is open Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM ET. A recorded message is available 24/7.

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Waiting for the Snow

Once again I wait for the possibility of the first snow of the season. I expect rain, but as always hope and pray for snow. the little boy in me still gets excited about the hushed sound and beauty of a white covered ground. Maybe this will be the year that we have a heavy snow season.

Day Two – Birds, Fish and String Rays Oh My!

Up early and out the door the door. This was amazingly easy as all we needed was our swimsuits, everything else was to be provided (YES we did grab coffee at the Starbucks in the lobby, no way I was passing up an Americano). Discovery Cove does a nice job of hiding away on a mass of trees and bushes. everything there is designed to relax you, form the large tropical themed reception area, where they take your picture for your park ID tag that you hang around your neck for the day. Then the doors open and you enter into the lush park.

The hosts directed us to the suiting area. Wet suits or vests were the order of the day. we grabbed vests, masks & snorkels, then headed for breakfast. Basic fair,, muffins, fruit, etc. They even provide the suntan lotion as it’s an all nature by Panama Jack so that no oils can do harm to the birds and fish. first stop of the morning (overcast no sun yet) was the aviary. We were greeted by this guy. 

Then a few other feathered friends dropped in. This one “party mask” was like an 80’s punk rocker.

then it was time for a swim around the tropical reef.

there were schools everywhere.

then it was String Ray time!!!

Petting and feeding time

I got a little close.

I loved every minute of the day. An experience that I will not forget for sometime. Now I feel that I have to get Simmy down to the Keys and snorkel a live coral reef. She needs to see that this was but a small sample of the real thing.

 

Evening with an old friend

My wife’s friend Rosemary came up for the evening. I knew Rosemary years ago through a friend who dated and married a friend of Rosemary ( Hey Shelly! ). We headed back to Downtown Disney to one of our old haunts… Wolfgang Puck’s. You MUST HAVE the Butternut Squash soup. We used to drive up some nights just for a bowl of this wonderful soup. 

After dine we walked through Downtown until we got to the bridge to Pleasure Island and back to House of Blues. Then it was over and time to fall into bed. The next day we were heading to my favorite Disney park… Animal Kingdom.

Day One – Stress Free Travel or Life’s Final Attempt to be a Killjoy

Simmy planned our takeoff day well. Sunday in the middle of the afternoon. This way no matter what my work week was like I would have all day Saturday to get ready. Boy did she plan that right. The week was loaded in unexpected events and ended with me pulling a really long Friday at work. But then Saturday came… My packing choices were few, so I was packed and really to go in under an hour, she took most of the afternoon to pack. Guys definitely have it easier in this area. We can get by with a few items and don’t have to worry about matching accessories.

 

Time to Go

We got to the airport as planned, 2.5 hours before the flight. The idea was lunch and “We’re on vacation” festive drink while waiting for our flight. The plane was of course late to arrive. We were quickly boarded, we got better seating as Simmy’s leg was still in a walking cast, and in minutes the doors were sealed and we lifted off. Next stop… Orlando, FL. A few hours later we were on the ground, bags in hand, and ready to get our transportation. Simmy opened her purse and… could not find her driver license. Instant HIGH stress level! Everything was booked in her name and was to require her ID. I ran ever scenario I could think off through my bogged out head. I was fighting hard in my mind to find a way to get her an ID, then I hit me… why?  I could  just use my ID and have them re-issue the paperwork in my name. If I had thought of this earlier I could have saved us 20 minutes of extreme stress. but then it was over and vacation really began.

 

BTW: My girl know how to work a deal. Cost for 2 round trip tickets, travel insurance ( with our family, it’s not an option, many a vacation has been canceled at the last minute due to someone getting injured or sick), and 1 checked bag…. $90.00. AWESOME!!!

 

Bonnet Creek Resort

By 6:45 we were at checked into our suite at the resort. Simmy again came through. The suite was VERY nice.

Drop the bags, grab cameras, vacation fun starts…. NOW! The phone rang and our friends coming up for dinner were minutes away. Pile into car and off to Downtown Disney we went…. all of 2 miles down the road.  Raglan Road was just what I needed. Strongbow on

tap and an outdoor table. Sun went down and the cool of evening set in. Nothing feels quite like being at Downtown Disney in Pleasure Island. The flow of people on vacation and not in a hurry is different from the parks.  This is a place to relax and stroll. A few Strongbows later, dinner arrived. Irish marinated and sauced short ribs. The first of several good meals. we sat around and talked until midnight, and then it was time to say goodbye and crash. The next day we were going to need a lot of energy.

The short but needed Vacation

My lovely wife made all the arrangements and told me nothing besides the days to take off. A week before I was told what type of clothes to pack. Shorts, T-shirts, and sandals. It was to be a warm weather trip. A few days before she let me know to make sure to pack a swim suit as there was to be a day long special event that would require one. My mind raced with the possibilities. I was to not be disappointed with the plans. This was also to be my first trip with my first real DSLR camera. I felt that I was ready for anything. I just needed to get away. While I love my In-laws, it does mean very little alone time with my wife. The last few years have been quite an adjustment. In that time we moved from being a couple living in a small bungalow, my job being 1.5 hours away to having her parents living with us in a large house and me with a new job that is not always a 8-5 day, but is much closer to home. Last year our “vacations” where surgeries. My gallbladder and her thyroid. We did get away for a 3 days weekend, but we pushed so hard to get there and back there was really only 1 day that we relaxed. I am learning that I need to carve out more time to relax and let things go as I get older. My trouble is that I take things to heart and treat them like life and death whither they are critical or not. As I get more stressed, everything is do or die. That’s when I really HAVE to get away or my head will explode and then everyone hates being around me. This time I was feeling it, but not seeing it, so Simmy stepped in and took over and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She knew what i needed. So…  the next few posts are an quick review of what she did for my mental health.

Weather Conditions from The Weather Channel

Severe Weather Alert for Brick, NJ (08723)

Freeze Warning until Wed Nov 04 2009 09:00 AM EST

...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EST WEDNESDAY... A FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 9:00 AM ON WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE WEST TONIGHT. WITH A MOSTLY CLEAR SKY AND A DIMINISHING WIND, TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO DROP NEAR OR JUST BELOW FREEZING IN PARTS OF OUR REGION. WIDESPREAD FROST IS EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FREEZE WARNING MEANS THAT SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST. THE SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL KILL SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

For more weather information, visit www.weather.com from your PC or mobile device.
Sent while on the road from my Blackberry

Labor Day weekend wonderfulness

the work portion of the weekend is over and the day of relaxing has begun…. sort of. My cat Cluie decided that it was a normal work day and nibbled my fingers at 5:30 this morning to wake me up. So… I headed down to the kitchen and brewed up a pot of Mocha Java coffee. Not a flavored coffee, but a type of bean that’s smooth and creamy. windows are open so the sounds of birds are filling the kitchen. first in were the ducks looking for breakfast, then came the squirrels. So I threw out some peanuts for them, and that brought in the Bluejays and their loud squawking. The wild rabbits (Pork, Bean, and Beanie Baby) are looking around my backyard looking for clover that survived the mowing. The slowness of a Monday holiday is wonderful. The lack of the need to rush on what is normally a work day feels strange. As does sitting with my wife and watching Master Blasters, which she is enjoying more then me. The day only has a loose idea of what we are doing. No schedules, not hurry, no worries. the hardest part will be getting out the front door. It overcast or I'd be heading for the beach. Temps have dropped into highs in the 70’s. Summer feels truly gone and Fall is rushing in. But I look forward to this. Fall is my favorite time of year. Things seem to slow to a more controlled pace. There is a cool crispness to the air. Sleeping is deeper and more relaxing. Every season has its place, and Fall begins the wind down of the year and Labor Day signals its start.

Florida Orange BBQ

I went to make BBQ chicken last night only to discover that I was out of sauce. A quick look through the refrig & I was able to come up with the following sauce that my family went crazy for.

 

1 TB butter

1 med yellow onion

1 TB liquid smoke

1 Medium Orange (Navel)

1 Tsp Red Hot sauce

1 TB Worchester sauce (Lea & Parens)

4 Cups ketchup (Heinz)

2 Cups Light Brown sugar

 

In a sauce pan, melt butter and thinly sliced and chopped onion, & Liquid Smoke. Saute until onion get soft. Zest ( the finer the better, as it’s all about the oil in the skin ) the entire orange and add to pot. Juice the orange directly into pot. Add ketchup and the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 30 mins. Sauce thickens as it cooks. Cook chicken on the grill or in the oven with just a little salt & pepper on the skin. in the last 10 minutes of cooking spoon BBQ sauce over the chicken ( or pork ) reserving half. 5 minutes later cover the chicken with the remaining sauce.

 

Serve with tomato salad, NJ white corn, and baked potatoes.

Enjoy! A wonderful summer meal.

just another day – By Wil Wheaton

 

I don’t normal blog another blogger personal post, but this one is just to close to home not to… It reminded me of how much I love my wife and though we don’t always have a meeting of the minds, we have a good sense of humor in common and that smoothes the rough edges of my personality.  Love you My Girl….

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Just Another Day – By Wil Wheaton

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wwdn/~3/Nq-GyEtYF34/just-another-day.html

The Sun reached out from 93 million miles away, pushed against the curtains in my bedroom until it found a small gap, and poked though it. As it moved across the sky, it crept silently down the wall behind me, then deliberately down the headboard until it landed on my forehead. Once there, it took careful steps until it found its target and blazed relentlessly into my eyes.

I was jarred from my wonderful dream, forced to trade my viking garb for the Wheaton college T-shirt I sleep in, and my trusty wolf companion for my dog, who thumped her tail against the bed and licked my face when she realized I was awake.

I scratched her head and then my own, sat up, and got out of bed. She jumped down behind me and trotted down the hall toward the living room. I heard movement behind me and turned to see my cat, stretched out on his side next to Anne's pillow.

"Morning kitty," I said.

"Mrrow," he replied, but what I heard was "I again chose not to kill you while you slept. You're welcome."

I stretched, blinked my eyes several times, and made my way toward the kitchen, where I hoped I'd find coffee.

When I got there, I found not only coffee, but my wife.

"Is there coffee?"

"There is coffee," she said. We always ask each other if there's coffee, whether we know the answer or not; it's part of our morning routine.

"I like coffee," I said. I kissed her on the shoulder while I stepped around her and poured myself a cup. I took it into the dining room, and sipped it.

Ten minutes and half a cup later, I was officially awake. I became aware of the birds singing on the patio, the distant drone of an early morning lawnmower, and then the smell of something familiar on the air. I looked into the kitchen, expecting to see pancakes or waffles on the stove, but it was empty. I shrugged and went back to my coffee. When it was empty, I returned to the kitchen to refill it, and while I stood in front of the coffee machine, Anne took a loaf of banana bread out of the oven.

"Banana bread!" I said, excited. "I thought I smelled it, but I didn't know you were making it!"

She put it on a cooling rack and said, "I told you that I was making banana bread when you were getting your coffee."

I put on my best Homer-Simpson-is-exasperated voice and said, "I was tuning you out. Jeeze!"

She poked a toothpick into the center of the loaf. "Oh, that's sad."

I waited a second, and then I said, ". . . what?"

She looked at me and slowly shook her head as I giggled.

just another day