I thought about Self Portrait Sunday when I was painting the front door yesterday, so here ya go. You can see who else took a photo of themselves over at Midlife Musings. Happy Mother’s Day!
Technorati Tags: self portrait , meme
I’ve been working on my security door for a couple of days. I live on the Leeward Coast, the dry side of Oahu. We don’t get much rain, but the ocean is just a few blocks from my home. Rust is an inevitable part of life even here. My poor door has not been looking very welcoming, so I tackled it this week. On Thursday and Friday I sanded. I know you can’t tell in the picture, but that’s the door after many hours of sanding by hand and with a belt sander. I didn’t make much headway. This morning I taped the hardware and draped sheet vinyl all around the door.
As you can see, the paint looked pretty promising as work progressed.
The sun was very bright on the door while I was working. I thought the door was looking pretty good until I saw the pictures. What looked like a nice solid coat was thin and spotty, so I knew I’d have to do a second coat. This photo makes it easy to see which part has already had two applications.
The outside of the door was finished. I moved the draping and started on the inside surface of the door. You can really see the splotchiness of the first coat here.
I can see a few areas that will need touch-up, but I’m pretty happy with the job. The door is looking much more presenatable.
Next up - reed screening to be wired to some ugly chain-link fencing.
Technorati Tags: chores, home maintenance, painting
Val is focusing on chicken this week for her Four Foods on Friday questions. I eat a lot of chicken, so this one is right up my alley. If you’d like to join us, just copy the questions below and answer them in a post on your blog. Leave a link to your post at Val’s place. She’ll have comments about all of our answers later, and will give us all some good link-lovin, too. Here are this week’s questions:
#1. How do you make chicken salad?
I don’t.
#2. Fast food chicken. What fast food restaurant makes the best chicken?
Fast food is another thing I don’t do much of, but if you count our local drive-ins (almost-fast foods) then I’ll say chicken katsu!
#3. What’s your favorite way to eat chicken?
Tough question. Remember Bubba listing all of the ways to do shrimp in Forrest Gump? The list for chicken would be even longer, and I have a lot of favorites. What I want varies on any given day, but Chicken Alfredo, chicken and dumplings and barbecued chicken are probably the ones I cook most often. Or maybe a saute’ with herbs and mushrooms and a white wine reduction. Or huli-huli chicken. Or teryaki. Of fried - fried is good! Maybe I don’t have a favrorite. Maybe it’s all good (except for chicken salad.)
#4. Share a recipe using chicken or take a picture of a chicken dish.
I was thinking about FFoF when supper time rolled around tonight. I always have boneless, skinless chicken in the freezer, so I thawed a piece and prowled around in the pantry for inspiration.
I cut a piece of thigh meat into bite-sized pieces, then tossed it in a little olive oil. I added dehydrated minced onions, paprika, black pepper and garlic and cooked for just a few minutes until it was done. Meanwhile I heated up some canned chili (no-bean variety,) since I didn’t have any taco or enchalada sauce on hand. I spooned chili and chicken onto a whole wheat tortilla, then topped it with grated colby cheese. I used up the sour cream last night in some mushroom stroganoff, so I had to improvise on that, too. Aha! Cottage cheese! That’ll work! I rolled it all up and it was so fat I had to eat it with a fork instead of just holding it. It came out messy but very tasty!
I didn’t check the photos until after I ate, so it was too late to take another by the time I found out that the second one was dark and fuzzy. Still, you get the idea. I think I’ll call it the “I don’t want to go to the store so I’ll cook with what I have handy” chicken recipe.
Technorati Tags: chicken, chicken recipe, food, meme
Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the bad news that we forget that there are good things going on around us all the time. We can’t change the headlines, but we can seek out that which is good, that which is uplifting, that which shines with a positive radiance - the good stuff. Here’s some good stuff sent to me by my readers:
Val is the most frequent contributor to Good Stuff. Yep, the Val at I know EVERYTHING - just ask my hubby is the same Val who also brings us Four Food on Friday. She often submits stories that focus on kids with special needs. This week she foud a story in my own backyard to share. I guess I should start reading the Star Bulletin instead of the Honolulu Advertiser!
JenX blogs at The Daily Mitzvah, which is all about the Good Stuff. She sent two of her posts our way this week. The first is about a baker who is encouraging his customers to reduce their carbon footprints. This story really hits home with me, because so many of our consumables in Hawaii have to be shipped in and use a lot of fuel getting to us. Her second subimission is also about reducing our impact on the environment, and about a school that’s doing it in an innnovative way.
My regular readers know that I have chronic depression and that it’s been controlling my life for quite a while. Things have improved recently and I’m pretty happy about that!
Mahalo to Val and JenX for Sharing the Good Stuff. I know there are more uplifting stories out there. I hope you’ll join us next week. It does the body good … and the soul, too!
Technorati Tags: good news, current events, local stories, meme
I told you a few days ago that I was working on the carport roof again, and that I was determined to stay motivated to do things around the house. Today I finished applying the roof coating. Here are some of the other things I’ve done in the last few days.
Those are my inspection report files for the last few months. They are all entered in the books and have been alphabetized. I hope to finish purging the file cabinets in the next day or two so I can get these filed away. I have more than four years of files in the office, but the file cabinets only have room for about three years, so the older files will be archived and stored in the shed.
I bought this patio table last winter and have had it sitting on the front lanai. I finally got the chairs and umbrella to go with it. Yesterday I moved them out into the yard and created a little eating/relaxing area next to the carport. I need to scoop up a bucket of sand next time I’m out so I can put it into the umbrella base. Darn thing keeps trying to blow away!
This is Lanai Lavender Star Verbena. I potted it and it’s sitting on the Lanai next to the front door.
Isn’t this a beauty? The tag says it’s Kupi Kupi, an indiginous fern. I can’t find it online or in my native plants book. I put two of them in my rock garden.
I also added two kinds of lavender to the corner between my herbs and ginger plants.
The garden shop was out of bell peppers, so I’ll go back for those later. I’ll use them more than the habernaros and Hawaiian chilis that I planted. I also added two new basils, a Chinese parsley, marjoram, sage and French thyme to the herb garden.
Many people aren’t aware that having depression doesn’t necessarily mean that you sit around all weepy and sad all the itme. Sometimes you just sit around. That’s what I’ve been doing for several years. My depression is characterized by lethargy. I call it couch sitting, though sometimes it’s in front of the computer or in bed. My house and gardens have really suffered from neglect. I seem to have turned a corner though, so I’m working hard at holding onto the drive and keeping things going. I’m really pleased with the things I’ve accomplished in the last few days.
Technorati Tags: chores, gardening, yardwork, home maintenance
When I bought my house it had a “Beware of Dog” sign on the front fence, with a silhouette of a viscious dog, fangs bared and looking ready for business. I’ve never owned a mean dog and I hated that sign, so I took it down. I got Buddy a few months later. Wouldn’t you know it, he bit a friend who dropped in unexpectedly one day. Buddy had met the man before, but he was territorial and didn’t want just anyone letting themself into his yard unless I was there to say it was okay. A lawyer friend let me know that a “Beware of Dog” sign might save me from being sued if someone ignored it, so I got a new one, but without the mean dog illustration.That was about twelve years ago and the sign has been up all this time, baking in the tropical sun.
Buddy is gone now and a mean dog sign wouldn’t fool anyone if they met Lance at the gate. They’d know right away that the only danger he represents is that he might lick you to death. I’d been meaning to take the old, ugly sign down but hadn’t gotten around to it. I wanted an indication that I had a dog, just in case there was a fire or other emergency when I wasn’t home. I now have the perfect sign for just that purpose. I found a place that has dog in yard signs that are much more appropriate for me & Lance. It comes in blue, brown or green. I selected blue, and it even came with cable ties so I could attach it to my fence. (They’ll send the right mounting hardware for whatever kind of fence you have.) Wanna know something really cool about the company that sells these signs? You can pay after you get your shipment. They call it their Good Karma policy. How trusting is that? I know a lot of companies did business that way when I was a child, but I haven’t heard of anyone doing it in a few decades at least. They don’t take credit cards, but since you can mail your check after you get the sign it’s all good, right? I got my sign in less than a week after I ordered it, too. They must have mailed it the same day, because things usually take a whole week to get to Hawaii from the mainland.
I’ve relegated the old sign to the rubbish bin. I’m giving you a little peek at it so you can see how ugly it was. I was happy to relegate it to the rubbish bin!
Technorati Tags: dogs, Good Karma, signs
If it’s Thursday, I must need therapy! Have you checked the back pages of your local paper lately? Do me (and yourself!) a favor and make it a point to find the good news that never gets the bold headlines. Pick a news source anywhere in the world or something great you’ve found on the web. Better yet, share a heart-warming first-person moment that gladdened your heart. Those little day-to-day moments that make us smile are the stuff of a happy life and worthy of sharing. Here’s your chance to recognize them for what they are and spread a little sunshine in the process. Post a link to your good news below. It can be a post on your own blog or to the source that made you grin. I’ll do a round-up later today (might be early tomorrow in your part of the world) when we SHARE THE GOOD STUFF!
Technorati Tags: good news, current events, local stories, meme
Well, I didn’t stump too many people this week. Karen was the first to post the correct answer and has won a linky love post for one of her blogs. She’ll also be entered in a drawing for a $10.00 gift card at the end of the month. I’m planning on going out later today after I finish some chores. I’ll find someone to help me do the drawing for April and post the monthly winner after I get back.
That’s the gate on Lance’s kennel. I almost gave the kennel away a while back because I started leaving Lance in the house when I go out. That turned out not to be such a good idea because he sometimes gets scampy and eats a box of tissue or pulls some other mischievous stunt when I’m not around. It’s funny the things you notice in photos that have escaped you until you see the pictures. I’ve done Tuesday Teaser photos that had to be redone because of grease on my kitchen counter or dust in my electronics that would have been too embarrassing to show. I knew there was some rust on the fence bolts, but never noticed that the chain link is rusting, too. That’s what I get for living so close to the ocean!
Mahalo to you all for playing. I’ve still got a large file of photos saved up to stump you with. Maybe the next one will actually do that. Make sure you come back next Tuesday and see!
Technorati Tags: contest, game, gate, photo Tuesday Teaser
Can you identify the item depicted above? Just take your best guess and post it in the comments below. If your guess wins, you’ll get a nifty prize. Here’s how it works:
1. Write a comment giving your guess as to what the item is.
2. First person to identify the item wins.
3. The author of this blog will be the sole judge as to what constitutes a correct answer.
What will you win?
1. The author of this blog will write a LINKY LOVE POST (review) about the winner’s blog (commercial sites ineligible.) The LLP will contain the url for your blog plus at least two deep links and will be posted here on Skeet’s Stuff, a PR4 PR2 PR0 (bah google!) blog. Skeet writes good reviews. 
2. The winner’s name will be entered into a drawing for a $10.00 gift card from Starbucks or Amazon. Okay, it’s not a tropical vacation or a pair of gold cufflinks, but ten bucks from my pocket to yours is not a bad deal!
3. Drawing for the gift card will be held on or about June 1, 2008, and will include all weekly winners for the month. There are four Tuesdays in May, thus the maximum number of people who will be eligble is four.
Other stuff -EDITED - PLEASE READ!
1. All comments to this blog are time and date stamped. The winner will be the first person (according to time and date stamp) to provide the correct answer. Guess as many times as you please, but please place each guess in a separate comment.
2. No hints will be given.
3. Answers must specifically identify the item. For instance, if the item depicted were to be a USB cable, the answer “some kind of electronic connection” would not suffice.
4. Decisions of the judge are final. Don’t argue with me. I won’t answer.
5. I will attempt to post every few hours as to whether or not a winner has been declared, but I am not continuously at the keyboard so please be patient.
6. Entries must be posted before 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, May 8, Hawaii time (GMT -10, approximately forty-eight hours from now.)
7. This is intended to be an ongoing feature at Skeet’s Stuff. If you or I lose interest it will cease to exist, but all qualified winners will get their prizes.
8. Skeet’s Stuff is a do-follow blog, so you get some link value just for commenting.
9. You do not have to have a blog to enter. Your review can be donated to a charitable or non-profit site if you don’t have a blog or just want to share the love. Sites to be reviewed are subject to my approval. I’m not harsh, but I’m also not interested in donating space to a radical political website or a blog that is dedicated to porn. Commercial sites are ineligible and comments with commercial links will be deleted. If you would like to advertise on my site I’ll be happy to discuss your needs and my fees.
Additional Notes:
10. Let the fun begin!
Technorati Tags: contests, photos, photo contest, blog contest
Long-time readers of skeet’s stuff might remember that on New Year’s Day of 2007 I was applying a coating to my carport roof, but was interrupted by a near-by brush fire and then by rain. Inclement weather kept me from getting back to the job for a while, but then I found other excuses. Regular readers also know that I’m easily distracted and frequently don’t finish what I start. I’ve been working hard on that lately. I’m determined to accomplish one task towards fixing up the house, one neglected office chore and one yard or garden chore each day. Over the weekend I finally got back to the carport roof. I used up all of the coating I had on hand and will pick up some more to finish the job next time I leave the coast (probably Wednesday.) I’m committed to finally finishing the roof before this week ends.
I’m not the world’s most professional painter. I poured the coating onto the roof in big dollops, then spread it with a roller. It splashed a few times. I’ve managed to get most of the stuff off of my feet, but there’s still some under my toenails. My “good” slippahs will be retired to “yardwork slippahs” and I’ll pick up a new pair for casual running around sometime soon.
All of my gardens have been weeded, I’ve removed the little patches of weeds that have popped through the weedcloth under my gravel-covered yards, put some new plants in and repotted some others. My office files are much better organized, but still need a lot of work. Tuesday’s agenda: purge office files of older inspection reports, paint front door and prepare a small plot for an extension of my herb garden. I might also get some fresh gravel spread in Lance’s yard (I lose a little gravel pciking up poops, so I have to refresh it from time to time.) Sometime in the near future I’ll start painting the entire interior, and make the new curtains I want to have ready to hang once the painting is finished. I figure if I tell you what I’m planning to accomplish it I’ll have to actually do it, right?
Technorati Tags: chores, household stuff, procrastination, roof coating
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