Archive for May, 2008

May 27, 2008

Memorial Day 2008

Hawaii knows how to do Memorial Day. I bought my poppy from a US Veteran outside the grocery store on Sunday. While I was doing that, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from all over Oahu were gathering in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. They were perpetuating a long tradition by placing American flags and lei on each of the 33,000 service member graves. The photo at left is a screen capture from video on KHNL 8. Take a moment to watch the whole story. A small boy saluting a grave after placing the lei moved me to tears.

Another moving ceremony took place at Ala Moana Beach Park at sunset. More than 1600 memorial lanterns were released into the ocean, each carrying a prayer or sentiment dedicated to the memory of one individual. Springing from Buddhist roots, the event now draws people of all faiths. Lantern Floating Hawaii has co-ordinated this lovely tradition for the last ten years. The photo is theirs. The photo gallery on their website will take your breath away.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

I spent part of Memorial Day at Pokai Bay Beach Park here on the Waianae Coast. Pokai Bay holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I first learned not to fear the ocean, where I first donned a snorkel and began to discover the wonders of the underwater world. The park is a very “local” gathering place. Almost everyone who goes there lives on the Waianae Coast. There is always someone there, no matter what time of the day or night you visit. A few homeless still live there, but most of the folks enjoying the beach or the relaxing with friends are there just taking a break. It can be a scary place when the sun goes down, with drug dealers and gamblers not wanting an audience. It’s pretty wholesome while the sun shines, though. Canoe clubs practice their paddling at Pokai Bay, families picnic and parents teach their keiki to swim and respect the ocean. The breakwater, badly damaged in Hurricane Iniki in 1992, is still a favorite opihi-picking spot and jumping-off point for bold little boys. Their big brothers stroll around strumming on ukeleles while little sisters learn all about rock climbing. Dads shout instructions to keiki washing away the salt - “Stick you head in dere. Get dat sand out da ears!” The lifeguard keeps her eyes on on the water while Tui takes a break from Park Service duties. On this crowded day the fisherfolks moved outside the breakwater to avoid the masses, as did a few teens escaping parental scrutiny. I made a few new friends as was invited to “make plate” by strangers who liked the idea that their photos might appear on skeet’s stuff. It was a fine day to be on the Waianae Coast.

Technorati Tags: beach, families, Hawaii, Memorial Day, Pokai Bay

Posted by skeet @ 3:58 pm • Hawaii, Photos • 7 comments

Tuesday Teaser for May 27, 2008

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!)~~ PR3 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. Maybe my winners are using the ten bucks they save on coffe or books to start building a downpayment for a new car or a Rolex Yachtmaster, ya think?

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.

May 26, 2008

Self Portrait Sunday for May 25, 2008

Okay, so the last post took longer to write than I expected and it’s not actually Sunday anymore. It’s five minutes after midnight as I’ve started putting this together. Sorry!

I’m tired. If you want to know why I’m tired, look at this post and this one. This is what I look like when I’m so tired I don’t even think to brush my hair before pointing the camera, and so tired I don’t care if you see me when I haven’t bothered.

Some of the nicest people in the blogosphere probably spiffed up a little before they pointed their cameras today. You can check them all out at Midlife Musings. Hmmmm! I just checked and I don’t think Cass has spent a whole lot of time on her hair, but then, she’s not really there. She’s camping.

Technorati Tags: self portrait , meme

Posted by skeet @ 12:20 am • Photos, Meme • 4 comments

And still more progress!

As promised in my last post, here’s some more de-cluttering progress. I took the above picture of part of my desk a couple of weeks ago, then lost my nerve and didn’t show it to you. I can show it to you now because I took the next photo today.

There’s still a lot of work to do in my office. It took a couple of years of depression and neglect for things to get into such a mess. The re-organization is coming along nicely, but is far from finished.

And now, a word from my sponsor. Well, not really. No one is sponsoring this post. But the nice folks at Gloves In A Bottle were kind enough to send me a sample of their shielding lotion to try out. Y’all know that dehydration is one of the symptoms of my medical condition. That’s more than just thirst. My hair, skin and nails suffer from the lack of moisture. I’ve been handling great stacks of paper every day while organizing my files and catching up my books. Every gas receipt and phone bill is being filed in the proper place so I can compile my expenses and get my taxes caught up. Every report has already been entered into my work logs and journaled in the books. Old files have been purged and I’ve shredded hundreds of pages of sensitive documents. I’ve handled thousands of pieces of paper just in the last week. Paper sucks the moisture out of my skin, so I’m keeping Gloves In A Bottle on my desk and I apply it every few hours while doing this work. It’s a shielding lotion that goes into your skin and helps protect it from inside out, as opposed to conventional moisturizers which merely coat the outer layer of skin. Using Gloves In A Bottle has kept all of my paper-handling from drying and damaging my skin. It doesn’t leave a sticky residue when applied and has not made any smears on my paperwork because - well, how can it? It’s not sitting on the surface of my skin, it’s inside. It’s probably available in a store near you, so use the store locator and get yourself some. In the unlikey event that there’s not a distributor nearby, you can order it from their website. It’s good stuff. You should try it!

As I said, there’s still a lot to be done in the office. Here’s the part of my desk I didn’t show you in the “after” photo above. It’s a three-tiered tray system that sits to the left of my monitor and should have inspection order forms and a few other things neatly organized and close to hand. Yeah, I know - you can barely even see the trays right now. I’ll probably remedy that tomorrow. Maybe someday soon I’ll show you my whole desk in a single photo.

When I started this whirlwind of activity I wanted to do one house job, one office job and one yard/garden job each day. That’s not terribley practical because some chores move along more effectively when I dedicate big blocks of time to them. It took me most of a day to get all of my inspection files in date order and get them journaled, then put them in alphabetical order for filiing, so I didn’t break up the job to clean closets or pull weeds. I’ve managed to maintain a steady pace in each area of labor, though, except for the three days that rain kept me from working outside. Today I did the hall closet and started cleaning and organizing the shed in the front yard. Yesterday I did the pantry. There’s great variety of items in my pantry, so there are several types of items on each shelf. Generally, it breaks down like this: snacks and convenience foods on the top shelf, canned goods, sauces and syrups on the second shelf, herbs, spices and seasonings on the bottom shelf and gum and candy in the little hanging basket. There are a few frequently-used medications in there, too (the rest are in the hall closet, which you’ve already seen.) I threw away two rubbish bags of stale stuff that had been lost in the back, some herbs and spices that were past their prime and a couple of cans that I thought I gave to the food bank the last time I purged and refilled my evac kit. One can of tomato paste had a swollen top, a sure way to get botulism. Why is it always tomato paste? There was a mysterious sticky puddle on one shelf. Not a clue what it used to be, but it’s gone now.

Tall and bulky items are on the floor of the pantry - oils and vinegars, a couple of bottles of liquor and some unopened wine, cereal, Lance’s kibble and biscuits. Can liquor go bad in the bottle after it’s opened? I don’t really drink, but I have a bottle of B & B and a little rum for cooking. Both were opened several years ago. Maybe I should toss them? I washed Lance’s bins while I was cleaning the pantry and didn’t refill them yet, so the kibble bag is sticking out of it right now. Every time I open the pantry Lance checks to make sure the good stuff is still at beagle-eye level. My fire extinguisher is right there, too, where it will be easy to grab if I ever need it. You do have an extinguisher in your kitchen, don’t you? If you don’t, would you please get one very soon? Do it for yourself and your family, and because it will make me happy, too.

My next kitchen chore will be to sort through my dishes and assign a whole bunch of them to the garage sale/charity truck pile. Needless to say, there is entirely too much stuff in my kitchen!

Technorati Tags: cleaning, clutter, de-cluttering, organizing

Posted by skeet @ 12:03 am • Just stuff, Home & Family • 2 comments

May 25, 2008

More progress on de-cluttering

There’s a problem with letting clutter accumulate. Well, actually, it creates a lot of problems. Here’s the one I’m thinking of right now, though. See the stack of washcloths between the two stacks of towels? There are - wait a minute while I count - forty-one washcloths. There are a few more in my bathroom - maybe three or four - plus some in the laundry basket. Let’s say I’ve got about fifty washcloths. Why in the world would a single adult living alone need fifty washcloths? She wouldn’t, of course. But if she frequently shops, sets the booty aside to deal with later and then forgets about it, she might not remember that she bought a cheaper-by-the-dozen package of washcloths. She might forget that several times and buy them again … and again. When she finally starts de-cluttering her home she might find some WalMart bags with stuff she bought. One them might be in a corner of her bedroom and contain a twin-pack of deodorant and some hair gel in addition to a jumbo pack of washcloths. Maybe there was another hiding in the floor of the guest room closet containing some washcloths along with a sympathy card that was never sent and a few other bits and bobs. There might even be a full, unopened pack in the hall closet, hiding behind some towels that are in such disarray that no one has a clue what else might be in there. That’s how it could happen, maybe. Just speculating, mind you, but it could happen that way, couldn’t it?

My decluttering frenzy has continued on a daily basis. I tackled the hall closet today. Sheets, tablecloths, towels and washcloths can now be found when needed. The biggest chore in the closet, though, was two shelves packed with a miscellany of health and beauty products. I found prescription drugs that were years out of date. Lots of stale over-the-counter cold and sinus remedies, too, and crinkly tubes of antibiotic ointment, dusty bottles of eye drops and multiple bottles of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol with a little product remaining in each. I have lots of first aid supplies. Super-sized sterile bandages from when I burned my foot, ace bandages and self-adhesive wraps and plenty of regular old bandaids, of course. I filled a large rubbish bag with all of that stale, out-dated stuff, plus body lotions in which the oils had gone rancid and shampoos that had turned funny colors. I’m happy with the results. There were several little baskets in there, but not enough to actually organize things, so I improvised with some boxes to handle the overflow. Each is labelled and things are sorted by type so they can be found quickly. Next time I have a large burn or am bleeding profusely I’ll peek in there and know that I have enough wound dressings to last a week. It won’t be a problem if you forget your toothbrush or floss or razor when you come for a visit. These are good things to know.

I couldn’t bring myself to take a photo that showed the whole closet “before.” The picture above was about half-way through. I had emptied out most of the stuff that was in the bottom of the closet originally - dog-bath towels and throw rugs and vacuum cleaner attachements and such. Then I used the floor of the closet as one of my sorting bins. Most of that is sick room supplies left over from when I was taking care of Dad. There are suction syringes and tubing, feeding tubes, catheters, and even a cheap, plastic stethoscope used to make sure the feeding tube hadn’t gone astray into a lung. There are braces and thumb splints for each phase of the tendon problems in my hands. Most of this ended up in the rubbish bin, but the tubing has various hardware uses (and is in the shed now) and the stethocope is with my first aid supplies. The gallon jug of hand soap is still right where it started.

I’ve worked on my office some more, too. I’ll post about that in a little while, after I eat some supper. It’s been a busy day and I need to re-fuel.

Technorati Tags: cleaning, clutter, de-cluttering, organizing

Posted by skeet @ 8:41 pm • Just stuff, Home & Family • 4 comments

May 24, 2008

The Sultan’s Labyrinth - new hidden object game

The Sultan’s Labyrinth is the latest exclusive release from Big Fish Games. Experienced player will find few challenges, but it’s a nice game to relax with and a great one for those who are new to hidden object games. The graphics are bright, colorful and well-drawn.

The storyline is a familar one. The princess needs a husband. The Sultan will award her hand to the candidate who completes a series of quests. Will it be her true love, or will she be forced to marry a stranger for the good of the kingdom?

Each level presents the player with several modes of play. Hidden objects to be found are given as silhouettes, as shown in the first screenshot above. Only a few items are shown at a time, with new ones appearing each time you remove an item from the search list. (I personally prefer a list of words to silhouettes. Sometimes the silhouetted shapes are indistinct, making it difficult for the player to decide what to look for.) The same scene is used again for additonal gameplay, like finding X number of similar items or finding all of the items that have identical matches in the scene. Some simple adventure play is also provide: find specified items, then move each to the correct place to get the secret to opening a door, for example. It may take you a few minutes to figure out what is required, but none of this is terribly difficult.

Mini-games include split-screen “find the differences” and mosaic inlays which much be completed before the player can advance to the next level.

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I played the one-hour demo of The Sultan’s Labyrinth and it’s a likable game. I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll buy the full version for future play. It’s $19.99 from Big Fish Games, discounted to as low as $6.99 if you join the Game Club. There’s not a lot of brain food in this game, but it’s a pleasant diversion when you just want to relax and escape for a while. Take it out for a free spin and see what you think.

You can find other hidden object game reviews in the games category for skeet’s stuff. Each review includes a link so you can download a demo and try the game for free before buying.

Technorati Tags: Big Fish Games, game reviews, hidden object games, The Sultan’s Labyrinth

Posted by skeet @ 10:16 pm • Review, Games • 2 comments

May 23, 2008

Four Foods on Friday #30

Last week was brown (chocolate!) and this week is white at Four Foods on Friday. There are still a few hours left for you to join us if you like. Just answer the four questions below in a post on your blog and let Val know by posting a comment at the link above. She’ll expound upon the answers and give us all a little linky-love later.

#1. What’s your favorite white beverage? If you don’t have one, what’s your favorite beverage with something white in it?

No favorite white beverage, but I use cream in my coffee (well, fake cream - who can afford the real stuff?)

#2. What’s your favorite white gravy, sauce, condiment, dressing or topping?

White sauce (butter, flour and milk) is a mainstay in my kitchen. It’s the basis for so many wonderful dishes.

#3. What’s your favorite white item from the refrigerated section?

Hm! Swiss cheese, I think!

#4. Share a recipe for something white.

I used a colorful picture when I posted the recipe for Eggs Goldenrod, but it’s one of my favorite white sauce dishes.

Technorati Tags: food, memes, recipes

Posted by skeet @ 11:02 am • Food and beverage, Meme • 14 comments

Sharing the Good Stuff

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. I really appreciate it when my readers share the things that make them smile!

If you’ve ever struggled to lose weight, you know it can get discouraging sometimes. Our gal Angie is celebrating a four-pound weight loss this week, bringing her total to 27 pounds in twelve weeks. Way to go, Angie!

Val always keeps her eyes peeled for good news. I was really pleased with her submission this week about a Walgreen’s Distribution Center that is leading the way in providing employment for the disabled. Corporate giants have so much power to do good. It’s wonderful when they take up that challenge.

This week I’ve kept to my committment to make significant progress each day towards de-cluttering my life. I still need maybe one more day of hard labor to have my office organized, so I’m hoping to finish all of that today or tomorrow. I may also tackle the closet in the guest room today. I’ve been using the room for storage and it was a real disgrace, but it’s usable once again for its intended purpose. Last night I cleaned my pantry and I can actually find things in there now!

The really good news is that my friend is finally home. She picked up her girls yesterday, so Lance is a little lonely today, but he’ll perk up this afternooon when he gets his bath. He doesn’t like the bathing process itself, but always goes into high-energy mode afterwards.

What’s making you smile today? Have you checked the back pages of your local paper lately? Do 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 made you smile. 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. Make sure you send me a link when you’re moved to blog about something good going on. I’ll hook you up the next time we Share Some Good Stuff and then we can all feel a little better about what this world is coming to!

Technorati Tags: good news, current events, local stories, meme

Posted by skeet @ 10:15 am • current events, Meme • 4 comments

May 22, 2008

Got some Good Stuff?

If it’s Thursday, I’m looking for some Good Stuff! 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. Did you finally make a perfect batch of your grandmother’s biscuits? Is your favorite kindergartener a blue-ribbon popsicle stick artist? Did the puppy finally go outside to piddle? 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

Posted by skeet @ 7:52 am • current events, Meme • 2 comments

May 20, 2008

Jenn Cooks some more!

My pal Jenn is still hanging out in the kitchen and she’s still cooking. She’s gotten quite bold for a gal who couldn’t even make a decent grilled cheese sandwich last fall. I mean really - Miracle Whip on a grilled cheese? Blasphemy! I can forgive that travesty, though, because Jenn’s coming up with some pretty good stuff these days, and you know I’m all about good stuff. Her Monday’s Menu features whatever she’s eating or making on Mondays. No Hamburger Helper for our Jenn! She posted a wonderful Chili Mac recipe that makes it so much better than the junk that comes in a box. She’s as fond of chocolate and peanut butter as I am and has shared several tasty recipes that feature the two in combination. I’m not sure how I missed her Peanut Butter Fingers a while back, but I found them while I was researching this post and just had to copy the recipe.

That’s a peanut butter, brown sugar and oatmeal cookie bar, covered lusciously with chocolate and a peanut butter glaze. I’ll be picking up the ingredients next time I go to the store. Follow the Peanut Butter Finger link above for the full recipe. You’re going to want to try them, too!

Jenn’s become a sophisticated cook in just a few short months. Jenn Cooks is full of main dishes, desserts, quick meals, tips and lovely kitchen toys. Check her out. Be prepared, though. You’ll be saving and trying quite a few of her delicious dishes!

Photo byJenn (froggybluesock)

Technorati Tags: blogs, food, food blogs, recipes

Posted by skeet @ 10:07 pm • Review, Food and beverage, Blogs • 3 comments