Testing

Testing

Bathroom Update

This is the "before" shot. This all started because of the damned pink tile. We decided to remove the pink tile and replace it with white, ignore the pink tub and attack a complete renovation at some later date. All of the tile came off easy until I got to the tub surround. After spending a fair amount of time chisseling a few of them off, the wall basically crumbled. Apparently, 50 years of water damage took it's toll and left me with what you see below.

From this point, it was ON!!

See more photos here!

Photos, photos and more photos

 

FINALLY got a few new photos up. Sam’s Halloween party at school, fall fun in the leaves and a few of the kids in their costumes. (LINKS BELOW) Hope to have some more photos of the continuing house renovation up soon as well. Officially, we now have paint on every wall in the house and I’m just about to declare the bedroom finished. The kitchen is in the home stretch and I hope to have it completed soon with the 5000 miles that we be embarking on for the holiday travels.

At any rate, thanks for stopping by and came back soon and often.

Sam's School Halloween Party

Kids - Fall Fun

Halloween 2010

Chili cook-off 2010

 

I knew before I came to work last Friday that I wasn’t going to win this year’s cook-off. I took last year’s crown with my first ever attempt at making chili. I did what I know how – I grilled, smoked and spiced and it worked. This year I decided to bring some Ohio flava to these crab eaters. I made Cincinnati chili from scratch and brought all the fixin’s to create up to a 4 way. Those that already knew what Cincy chili is about loved it. Most everyone else was at the very least, intrigued. At the very least, I enlightened a few people and ate some damn good chili! I’m already working on my recipe for next year. Please believe, I WILL be winning that belt back!

Pork Explosions!

Pork Explosions CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

We had a potluck at my office on Friday. I volunteered/was coerced into making pork explosions. For the uninitiated, it is bacon that is woven into a mat upon which a pound of pork sausage is pressed and then a layer of chorizo (Mexican spicy sausage). The chorizo is my own twist. The standard version calls for cooked bacon to be crumbled on the sausage layer. Add in some spices and roll into a heart attack shaped log. I have found that with all the fat, it's much better to smoke them first to cook them without flareups. After smoking for 4-5 hours I finish them on the grill with a chipotle-cinnamon BBQ sauce. Needless to say, not for vegans or those with a weak heart. I made 5 and there were 0 left, so I guess that's a good thing. If you are thinking of trying this out, I caution you that it is a costly and time consuming process. These took me a total of 6-8 hours to prepare, smoke and grill. If you do try it, let me know how it works out!

My Little Incubator

Well, once again, my daughter has blessed her mother and I with a new sickness. She apparently picked something up either in Michigan or on the plane home. Dani got sick on Tuesday and I started yesterday. Each of the kids good for about a half dozen sicknesses per year. This one is a little earlier than others, but it still sucks. Thankfully for her, she's cute which has saved her on more than one occasion. Hopefully it's a fast bug that will get the hell out of me, Dani and this house in the next day or two.

Cold shower

Got back into the gym for the first time in a week this morning. Ran late so I opted for just cardio. The 60 degree shower was a nice eye opener before work. Heading back shortly for weights & abs.

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Old man river...

Took a walk Saturday across the Mississippi to a couple places. Next to the bridge was this gem of a sign. Sign was great, the beer - not so much. Had a couple beers @ Nye's Polonaise room/bar and then walked across the street to Kramarczuk's for a hungarian sausage. It was ALL good!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Shufflin' home

After answering the "last call for alcohol" we made our way back to the hotel. 3 AM after an early morning, travel and a bit of drinking. Not bad for a bunch of old guys.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

The Admiral Room

The first stop of the night. OK, the second stop, but I'm not counting the hotel bar.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

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On my way

One bloody mary down. 

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

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This email and all other electronic (including voice) communications from the sender's firm are for informational purposes only. No such communication is intended by the sender to constitute either an electronic record or an electronic signature or to constitute any agreement by the sender to conduct a transaction by electronic means. Any such intention or agreement is hereby expressly disclaimed unless otherwise specifically indicated.

On my way

One bloody mary down. 

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

---

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: This e-mail message contains confidential, privileged or otherwise protected information intended solely for the addressee. Please do not read, copy, or disseminate it unless you are the intended addressee. If you have received it in error, please call us (collect) at (410) 910-1500 and ask to speak with the message sender. Also, we would appreciate you forwarding the message back to us and deleting it from your system. Thank you.
This email and all other electronic (including voice) communications from the sender's firm are for informational purposes only. No such communication is intended by the sender to constitute either an electronic record or an electronic signature or to constitute any agreement by the sender to conduct a transaction by electronic means. Any such intention or agreement is hereby expressly disclaimed unless otherwise specifically indicated.

It is done

This is what I am traveling with and what I will be living out of for the next few days. Compared to what it is like to travel with the family, it's amazing that I can do it all with one backpack. Heading to Minneapolis for a baseball weekend and a beer or two. Cheers!

Monster Truck

That GINORMOUS truck belongs to former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Orlando Brown. He was at the gym today working out while I was there. The truck was an environmental hazard while parked, so I can only imagine the carbon footprint when it's in motion.

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Bachelor Pad

It's official, I am now a bachelor. Dani is back in MI with the kids for the rest of the week. My task is to stay out of trouble and get the house cleaned up before I head out on Friday. Both of those could end up proving rather insurmountable. Missing the kids something awful. Gotta get through the next few days and then I'm off to MN for the baseball trip. Looking forward to hanging out with the fellas and exploring the new Target Field and some quality dive bars.

Going Out

Dani and I are headed out to dinner to celebrate the last night of our "kid-free" freedom. It's been a semi productive week, but with a lot less stress. Dani leaves tomorrow for Detroit to spend the remainder of the week there with the chil'uns. I will hold down the fort here. Like two ships in the night, I leave on Friday for my baseball trip and Dani and the kids return on Sat. I miss them tremendously and can't wait to see them when I get back. I think two weeks may be a bit too long for the kids and for me. For now, however, a glass of wine or two and a peaceful dinner will have to suffice.

Meeting hell

Long and final meeting of the day.

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Day one in the books.

Today was the first day of being kid free. Not much different than any other day except that no one had to pick them up. We celebrated out new found and short lived freedom with dinner at a local wine bar/restaurant. The food was good and the wine was tasty. Now I am going to try and get more than 5 hours of sleep for the first time in 5 days.

Humans just absolutely suck

One more symbol of the rising global demand for rhino horn and its devastating effect on rhinoceroses in both Africa and Asia: The Guardian reports that the female white rhino in South Africa's Krugersdorp nature reserve has been killed by poachers--who used a tranquilizer gun, fired from a helicopter, to bring down the animal, prior to hacking off its horn, leaving it to bleed to death and orphaning its young calf in the process...