A lady at work recently had her entire kitchen renovated. Nic is in the early stages of going through the process as well.

I mentioned it to my wife.

Suddenly there is graph paper and my big measuring tape on the bar. A night out might mean dinner and then a leasurely stroll through the hardware store.

I'm not too worried about it, because we're certainly not rushing into things. We've lived in the house for 15 years, and before the first was over we'd replaced the appliances and a few years later I redid the wallpaper. Other than that - nada.

So we've had time to dream and consider and ponder and decide, and of course we disagree on several key points, but nothing important enough to turn into a major fuss.

I expect I'll be starting phase 1 here in the next month or so, which is removing the "bar" and cabinets between the kitchen and dining room and replacing them with a new set of cabinets along another wall.

Step at a time, and it's not so hideously expensive that way as long as you don't do something stupid like total up the receipts.

Posted by: Ted at 12:03 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Barbies in bondage.

Popup photos not safe for work (or maybe they are, they're just dolls after all).

I especially like the cowgirl outfit.

Yeehaw!

Trussed up like a li'l heifer in 6.2 seconds.

I always wondered about that four-poster bed.

Barbies "Paris" moment: "Where did that video camera come from?"

Posted by: Ted at 04:48 AM | category: Square Pegs
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Friday afternoon I was given a new assignment. Looking at the task, I realized that it would be very handy to have a copy of a certain manual, so I jumped on over to Amazon. In ten minutes I'd ordered the reference I needed.

It was delivered this afternoon.

Posted by: Ted at 05:28 PM | category: Square Pegs
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We had all the kids home for the weekend, and made a huge family dinner. The rabbit was delicious.

What?

As Douglas Adams said, it's all about nailing a guy to a tree for the crime of saying that we should be nice to each other.

So I'm guilty of mocking the commercialized version of the holiday. When the Cadbury Police knock on the door, I'll go quietly.

Posted by: Ted at 07:09 PM | category: Square Pegs
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I'm really really really beat. So tired that I have a splitting headache.

(the reason why I'm so tired is in the extended entry, so's you don't have to read it unless you want to) more...

Posted by: Ted at 07:20 PM | category: Square Pegs
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I just didn't know there was a reason for it.

(click for huge kinky size, just once only please)

Posted by: Ted at 07:57 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Mom (to me): We saw a movie we thought you might like.

Daughter: At WalMart, in the discount bin. Some babe in a fur bikini.

Mom: One Million B.C. starring Rachel Welch. Would you want that?

Me: Oh yeah!

Daughter (to mom): Told you.

Posted by: Ted at 11:44 AM | category: Square Pegs
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The first batch of tamales is done.

Wow. These are good.

The other batch is in the steamer. It's a more traditional version. Update in an hour.

Update: The second batch is mucho tasty, but the one I tried fell apart. I'll have to try another one tomorrow after they 'set' to see if the sauce was too 'saucy'. I've had three now, and I'm too full to try another tonight.

Apparently I make big-assed tamales, because I doubled the Masa recipe called for and didn't get anywhere near double the number.

Success!

Posted by: Ted at 10:28 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Her husband says his wife told him she would not want to be kept alive artificially.
Her parents dispute that, without giving a single supporting shred of evidence.
The parents hope she might get better.
The parents and everyone else involved went doctor shopping until finding specialists who supported their position.
The judge who ruled on the case had weeks and months of testimony and all the facts of the case before making his ruling.
Congress and other judges waited until the last second to get involved. When Jeb Bush tried to step in long ago, he was slapped down pretty convincingly.
The blogosphere has rallied to her cause, and the total effect has been zilch. Zip. Nada. A good reminder of just how important we are in the universe.

The woman was stripped of her dignity long ago.
This isn't even about her any more.

I'm disgusted.

Posted by: Ted at 09:32 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Wife Liz had a rough day yesterday at work, so when she got home I sent her upstairs for a long hot bubblebath to unwind. When she was done, I'd fixed some dinner and we sat upstairs on the bed and ate and talked and watched a little TV. I fell asleep before 6:30pm and slept straight through until Liz's alarm went off this morning at 6am.

I could get used to that, if I weren't completely guilt-ridden over that fact that I wasted a friday night. Just not enough hours in a day, days in a week, life's too short and all that. I think I could happily amuse myself if I were immortal.

Posted by: Ted at 06:47 AM | category: Square Pegs
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1 After a week of nights of 3-5 hours sleep it was good to sleep 'til 10:30 this morning. Aaaah.

I was just looking at your randomly ordered Munu blogroll. Noticed two that I was unaware of. But, uh, someone's missing **ahem**.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 19, 2005 11:57 AM (DqnfR)

2 Huh? That's not randomly ordered, it's the order they became Munuvians. Who's missing? There are a few like Survivor that I didn't include, and a few down bottom under "lost and found" (for inactive blogs), but I don't know who I've forgotten.

Posted by: Ted at March 19, 2005 12:08 PM (ZjSa7)

3 I just realized something.

The "missing" blog was Blather Review. Then I noticed that Practical Penumbra was missing, too.

The page doesn't fit on my monitor and I didn't notice the scrollbar at the bottom. I thought your list began with Collinization. Oopsie.

I also have a chronological list. I know fer sure that the top of the list should read:

Ambient Irony (Obi Wan Pixy)
Practical Penumbra (Susie)
Stranger In A Strange Land (Formerly The Michigander) (Tim)
Blather Review (me)

Tim came to mu.nu about a week or two before I did. Then I list Collins, Jennifer, Victor, Cherry then you and Mookie.

The two I didn't recognize were Margi Lowry (I'll have to add it in) and Emigre With A Digital Cluebat (I have it listed as Delftsman).

Comparing our lists I've noticed that you're missing a couple. King Of The Blogs goes between Wolfgang von Skeptik and Emigre With a Cluebat, and I have S.A.P.S.A. followed by Miss Apropo between G'Day Mate and Little Miss Attila. (Miss Apropo should be included in the "Lost and Found" list. It would only be apropo.)

I see some minor differences between our two lists. I guess I could just double-check everyone's archives to make absolutley certain of their order of arrival like it's important or something. Heh.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 19, 2005 01:23 PM (DqnfR)

4 Hmm. Seems there's no such thing as margilowry.mu.nu and margilowry.com wont load for me. Wassupwitdat?

Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 19, 2005 02:01 PM (DqnfR)

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Rocket Jones has moved past the 100k visit mark this week, according to Site Meter.*

To each and every one of you, my sincere thanks.

I don't fret much over stats like that, but it gives me yet another chance to parade around in front of y'all, hollering "Look at me! Look at me!"

That is a good thing. My therapist says so.

*That number doesn't include the counts from the original Blogspot home of Rocket Jones, nor does it account for the fact that I didn't bother to put Site Meter on all my pages until last fall. So in reality, this happened some unknown time ago. Like I said, I don't fret over stats.

Posted by: Ted at 12:25 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Survived work week*. Check.
Changed color on the blog calendar thingie with this post. Check.

That is all.

* I don't count a day once it's started. So just by getting to work this morning, I can consider it completed, even though it's still in-progress. I've always done that, and I don't know why.

Posted by: Ted at 05:15 AM | category: Square Pegs
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This week is whipping my butt. I've mentioned that my job runs in cycles. Busy week followed by insanely busy week. Repeat. Well, this is supposed to be my merely busy week, and I'm looking forward to insanely busy next week, because it'll be a bit of a slack for me. Whew!

Good thing I love what I'm doing. That makes all the difference in the world.

Got home this afternoon and helped clean the house. Oldest daughter came home for a doctor's appointment, and then took Mookie back to ODU with her for a few days.

After dinner I started cooking. The weather forcast is calling for rain Saturday, so I'm committed to making tamales. Tonight I made a variation of my salsa verde for one type (maybe two, haven't decided), and a red sauce for the other kind I've got in mind. Look for recipes this weekend or early next week. The house smells like roasted chilies, at least for a little while yet.

I also got the bread pudding made and in the oven. So soon it'll be cinnamon and nutmeg in the air.

On a totally unrelated note, we've been listening to a satellite radio station (comes with the dish) called Buzz Saw. Classic hard rock is what they call it, and it's heavy on Zepplin, ZZ Top and AC/DC. I've also heard Nazareth, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sabbath and various others. Pretty good, and a nice change.

Posted by: Ted at 07:37 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Big whoop. I don't drink, I don't leave ladies to drown in my car, and I don't stab bar patrons to death. I'm not wearing green, and I'm half tempted to celebrate tonight by cracking open a cold Corona.

If I cared.

Posted by: Ted at 04:54 AM | category: Square Pegs
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1 Good Christ, Ted. Not a big fan of the holliday?

For the record I could care less too.

Posted by: Paul at March 17, 2005 07:50 AM (vbP6L)

2 Rawr. Are you a little teste today Ted?

Posted by: shank at March 17, 2005 10:45 AM (+H1yK)

3 Am I getting to you already Ted? I thought you were tougher than this!

Posted by: Collins at March 17, 2005 11:05 AM (N4ict)

4 I've had some good luck today, so I can't write off the holiday just yet. And Corona? Hell, that's still in the spirit o' the holiday!

Posted by: dawn at March 17, 2005 12:07 PM (bNYuK)

5 Dang, I completely forgot that it was St Patrick's Day until I started surfing the blogosphere a little while ago. And I'm Irish!

Guess I'll drink the 3 beers that've been sitting in my crisper since sunday. Might help me get some sleep for a change. **yawn**

Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 17, 2005 10:03 PM (4T89p)

6 I'm such a non-drinker that I don't think I've ever even *had* a Corona. If I'm going to drink beer, I prefer a real beer. Romer Pilsner. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Posted by: Ted at March 18, 2005 06:20 AM (blNMI)

7 LOL Collins, believe me, you'll know it if you ever get to me.

Posted by: Ted at March 18, 2005 06:21 AM (blNMI)

8 why, are you gonna fire a fuckin rocket at me through space or some shit?

Posted by: Collins at March 18, 2005 08:05 AM (YkSuu)

9 Hell! I would much rather have a "Negra Modelo".

Posted by: Daniel at March 20, 2005 02:34 PM (VtMFo)

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I pulled out the bread machine a couple of weeks ago, because hey, we own the stupid thing, we might as well use it. And I have been.

Yesterday evening I made a loaf of white bread, thinking that I'd make some bread pudding. Problem was, when I got home this afternoon, the house apes had gotten into it and half the loaf was gone.

Now how can I get mad at that? So I whomped up another - bigger - loaf this evening, this time honey wheat. Before it had cooled I'd sliced it up and tore a heap of it into chunks for tomorrows bread pudding. A good half dozen slices are left over, and I'm thinking peanut butter and orange marmalade for lunch tomorrow.

Good thing I get up earlier than the kids, or there probably wouldn't be any left.

Posted by: Ted at 08:43 PM | category: Square Pegs
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1 Bread machine? CHEATER!

Y'know what I like to use in my bread pudding? French bread along with assorted pastries and small globs of jam and/or preserves. That way you get tasty fruitiness in every other bite. Yum!

Hmm. I still haven't gotten around to posting a recipe for the whole wheat raison bread with a plum sauce swirl that I came up with last fall. Oh, that was a good one. Now if Lawruh would only get around to sending me the videotape we made 'cause I lost my notes...

Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 16, 2005 09:28 PM (Hs51V)

2 Those damn house apes!

Posted by: Victor at March 16, 2005 09:51 PM (etHvD)

3 Homemade bread? Yum. You'd make somebody a good wife (joking! joking! wink! wink!) But hey, that gave me a great idea. You can whip up that bread, slap a label on it called "Rocket Jones' Rockety Good Eatin's" and have a contest on your blog. The winner(s) get a loaf of your homemade bread.

Yeah, I think that's a GREAT idea.

:-)

Posted by: Cindy at March 16, 2005 11:01 PM (MMDER)

4 A bread machine is cheating? Then so is buying flour bucko! Go grind your own grain or pipe down.

Cindy, I'd make a terrible wife. I like sex.

I like the idea about the contest, now I need suggestions about what...

Posted by: Ted at March 17, 2005 07:38 AM (blNMI)

5
Ted, that's such a stereotypical 'wife' comment. :-)

When I did a contest on my blog, folks had to guess the name of my dog. I'm sure you (or your readers) can come up with something! I'll think about it and get back to you should some sudden burst of brilliance land on me today.

Posted by: Cindy at March 17, 2005 08:26 AM (MMDER)

6 Mmmm, whiskey sauce.

Posted by: SayUncle at March 17, 2005 08:58 AM (CDrd/)

7 Cindy, of course it was. That's why I said it! LOL

I know exactly what kind of contest to have. Look for the announcement in the next day or two.

Posted by: Ted at March 17, 2005 11:07 AM (blNMI)

8 Hmmm, PB + OJ Marm, gotta try it.

Posted by: michele at March 17, 2005 06:37 PM (ht2RK)

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Q: How do you make Holy Water?

A: Boil the Hell out of it.

You're welcome, my child.

Posted by: Ted at 12:19 PM | category: Square Pegs
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The AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team is experimenting with a new ice surface.

The Sabres offered to try it and, after some experimentation, settled on painting the sheet in what they call "electric powder blue." To offset the new colored surface, arena officials decided to make the blue lines fluorescent orange, which is also the color used for the faceoff circles.

The center line, normally red, is now dark blue.

I like it. A lot. From the few pictures I've seen I already like it. One of my biggest gripes about televised hockey is that the glare in some arenas makes it darn near impossible to follow the action, and you can give yourself a headache, like staring into the sun.

The Cleveland Barons will be Rochester's first opponents on the new ice on Sunday.

Posted by: Ted at 06:09 AM | category: Square Pegs
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Ever seen the TV show where the main character wakes up, staggers into their workday, and the whole episode is one little drama and adventure and serendipitious event after another? And at the end of the day the character collapses into bed with a huge "oh shit, I have to do this again tomorrow". End of episode.

Today I had one of those days.

Posted by: Ted at 08:40 PM | category: Square Pegs
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1 *sharpens claws*
I do that every day.

So Ted?
Is that a rocket in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?

heheh

~kiss~

Posted by: DemonQueen at March 15, 2005 09:01 PM (lRTFS)

2 Both, of course.

Posted by: Ted at March 15, 2005 09:16 PM (ZjSa7)

3 Oh shit, it's time for some deep thinking about the next vacation!

Posted by: Cindy at March 15, 2005 09:26 PM (MMDER)

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About 10 years ago the "new" Russian embassy was built in Washington DC. The back of the property backs up to a residential neighborhood and as the story goes video survellience wasn't allowed or was severely restricted.

Some wag spray-painted "Wolverines!" on the rear entrance gate of the embassy compound.

Posted by: Ted at 04:59 AM | category: Square Pegs
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Peter Forsberg suffered a concussion after being cross-checked into the boards during a game in the Swedish League a couple of nights ago.

It was Forsberg's first game back after missing six weeks with a broken hand. His father coaches the team, MoDo, and says this:

"He's had his share of concussions, I think it is enough now (to cause him to retire)"

The player who made the illegal hit was ejected from the game and has been suspended for the next two.

Posted by: Ted at 11:13 AM | category: Square Pegs
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