September 30, 2008

Tuesday Teaser photo verification

Once again I failed to fool you guys. Cass was quickest off the mark and is this week’s winner. She’ll get a linky-love review of one of her many blogs, and will be entered in the monthly drawing for a $10.00 gift card (which will be held any day now.) Congratulations to Cass and mahalo to all who played. I hope you’ll all return next week and try again!

I’ve been doing Tuesday Teasers for over a year now and thought you might be interested in how I put them together.

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Each week I take several cuts of several different photos. What I’m looking for is a puzzle piece that will make you scratch your head for a while, but that you will definitely recognize as being exaqctly what it is … eventually. This week I worked with photos of three different items. I had six photos of the caulk gun from different angles. I selected the one that had the best focus and lighting, and, I thought, the best angle to allow me to “sample” several different areas. I made five different cuts of that photo. After I make the cuts I walk away from it all for a while, then come back for a fresh look and select the one that I think will make the best puzzle. Sometimes I succeed. Sometimes my logic and vision are a little off. Of the photos above, I thought that the two showing the tube of caulk and the one showing the spring were too obvious. That left me with the two photos of the angle where the trigger meets the stationary handle. One seemed too ambiguous, so I went with the other, which showed a smear of caulk to give you an extra clue. Turns out, of course, that y’all didn’t need any help at all - I think you’d all have gotten it just as easily from the other snippet which didn’t have a smear. Sorry - sometimes I’m pretty good at what I do. Sometimes, not so much. The biggest problem with putting the puzzle together is that I know what the item is. It’s hard to dismiss that knowledge and view the piece as you will see it, without foreknowledge. I guess what I’m saying is that it’s pretty much a crap shoot, so I try to be happy that it works out well as often as it does.

Technorati Tags: caulk gun, contest, contest winner, photo puzzle, Tuesday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser for September 30, 2008

Can you identify the item depicted above? 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. Be as specific as you can. For instance, indoor “lamp” would be too general as an answer if you needed to identify a lava lamp. Sometimes the brand will need to be specific, as when you identified the Enregizer Bunny and auto company logos. Guess as many times as you want, but put each answer in a separate comment, please!
2. First person to identify the item wins. If more than one person provides the correct answer, time and date stamp will determine who was first.
3. The author of this blog will be the sole judge as to what constitutes a correct answer. Sorry - no hints will be given. I will attempt to respond to your answers at least every few hours, but I am not continuously at the keyboard so please be patient.
4. The contest will end in forty-eight hours, whether or not a correct guess has been submitted.
5. Skeet’s Stuff is a do-follow blog, so you get some link value just for commenting.

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!) Ha! PR3 blog Hmmmm! PR2 again. Skeet writes good reviews.

2. The weekly winners will be entered into a monthly drawing for a $10.00 gift card from Starbucks or Amazon or a ten dollar payment through PayPal.

3. Drawing for the monthly prize will be held on or about October 1, 2008, and will include all weekly winners for the month. There are five Tuesdays in September, thus the maximum number of people who will be eligble is five.

Comments submitted with commercial links will be deleted. If you would like to market your product, service or website through skeet’s stuff I’ll be happy to discuss your needs and my prices. Please submit your request via email.

Technorati Tags: contests, photos, photo contest, photo puzzle

September 28, 2008

Self Portrait Sunday for September 28, 2008

I’ve been working outside since sunup. I’m hot and sweaty, but I’ve gotten a lot done. It’s a little after ten and I’ve just taken a lunch break. Take my word for it - you don’t want to see my face. Gaze upon my lovely curls instead. Every time I’ve gotten a haircut lately I’ve told the gal it was getting too long for me to manage. She’s not getting it and I need to find someone new. Today I pulled it back in a banana clip to keep it off my neck and out of my face.



Oh, alright! If you insist on seeing more of me, here ya go. My nails rarely grow past the tips of my fingers. I have some problems brought about by fourteen years of nutritional deficiency, thin, brittle nails being one of the least important of them. Every now and then one survives long enough to almost look like a normal, girly nail. I ripped this one this morning while working in the shed. I couldn’t find my nail repair stuff, so I tried to glue it with some nail polish and went back out to work. The polish immediately got crud in it and the nail ripped off anyway. Ah, well - I know I’m girly on the inside, whether anyone else can see it or not.

I’ll go see who else posted to Self Portrait Sunday and maybe check out authorize.net when I take my next break, but there’s no need for you to wait on me. Go on over to Cass’s place and follow the links to all the pretty people!

Technorati Tags: photos, self portrait, meme

Posted by skeet @ 10:55 am • Photos, Meme • 4 comments  

September 27, 2008

Creating a little curb appeal

My house isn’t really visible from the street. What you see instead in a rather pathetic looking fence over a lumpy driveway, the top of my carport and the tiny garden outside my gate. Not an impressive first impression. It doesn’t help that the mail carrier runs over the front of the garden six days a week and that neighbors or their guests sometimes park there. The plant at the base of the mailbox post is down to just a few crushed clusters. I’ve always known it by its politically incorrect name of Wandering Jew, but I’ve just looked it up and see that it’s also called Inch Plant or Tradescantia zebrina. It grows to moster proportiions in our tropical climate, but it’s no match for a multi-ton vehicle.

I’ve replanted the area several times in the years I’ve lived here, thinking that people would see the plants and change their habits. Since that hasn’t worked I decided to try something that a few neighbors have done to remedy the same problem. The couple who tend the garden above have done a lovley job with a very limited amount of space, and they’ve managed to keep cars from spoiling their efforts.

Rocks that blend in with the landscaping won’t do. I don’t want someone hitting one in the dark and damaging their car, even if they shouldn’t be parking there. I’m not that petty, and besides, folks around here have been known to go to extreme measures to get even when they feel someone has done them wrong. I spent a good portion of my day today hauling volcanic rocks (which are dense with metals and quite heavy) and then painting them.

While the paint was drying (and after the mail was delivered) I planted three dozen bedding plants. I picked them up over a week ago, then didn’t plant them becuase I needed to get the rocks in place. My back has been giving me fits so I had to wait on that. A couple of the plants weren’t looking too healthy in their little two-inch posts, but hopefuly most will survive. These are Arachis pintol “Golden Glory.” I know nothing about them except that they look like peanut plants and should do well as ground cover on our hot, dry Leeward coast once they’ve gotten over their transplant shock and had a chance to spread their roots. They’ll need a lot of watering and TLC for a few weeks, then should fill all available space with little encouragement or attention.

Here’s a little painting tip while we’re waiting for the paint to dry. I wanted to paint all sides of the rocks so I had to wait for the tops to dry, then flip them over and paint the other side. Since I would be using the brush again within an hour or so I didn’t want to bother with cleaning it, but I didn’t want it to dry out either. I wear disposable gloves while painting. Holding the brush in one hand, I used the other hand to peel that glove off and over the paint brush. I put it in the shed, out of the sun, and it stayed moist and pliable until I was ready to use it again. Most any plastic will do - kitchen wrap, shopping bags - I’ve even used bread bags for this. If there’s gong to be a longer wait, put the wrapped brush in the fridge. It will keep for quite a while - at least several days, in my experience.

Late in the day the rocks were dry and I hauled them out front. I may add some others later to make a solid border - I haven’t decided yet. For right now, these will do to keep cars off of the new plants. Unless someone steals them.

Technorati Tags: garden border, gardening, yard work

September 26, 2008

Shopping the sales

I’ve been talking a lot about shopping lately. That’s because we’re rapidly moving into the holiday season and I really, really want to get my shopping done early and my gifts mailed on time this year. If I manage that it will be totally out of character, but I’m working on self-improvement and this is an area where I have a lot of room for growth. I recently mailed a couple of packages that were almost two years late, so, yeah - room for improvement. I’ve started my campaign by mailing my sister’s birthday presents early this year - her birthday is coming up on Sunday and she’s already got her stuff. I need to prove to myself that that wasn’t a fluke, though, thus the early holiday shopping discussions.

The real advantage to getting started early, of course, is that it gives you time to do some comparison shopping and find the best sale prices. I’ve already found a great price on a watch I’ll probably get for my son (he collects them) and have started looking for the other traditional gift he’ll expect from me: a coordinated outfit of slacks, shirt and sweater. I’ll be asking him for a wish list soon, but he’s a procrastinator like his mom, so I may not have that for a while. His list will undoubtedly include some recently released DVDs, though, so I can shop for those without the list. I’m pretty sure he’ll want Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull because: a.) he’s a fan of the earlier Indiana Jones movies and b.) he’s a fanatic about having complete sets. I’ll probably order an extra copy for myself for the same reasons. The DVD will be released on October 14th, but can be pre-ordered now from Buy.com at a very sweet price of $17.99, which is $13.00 below the recommended retail price of $30.99. See what I mean about shopping early to get the best prices? Buy.com is a great place to do that because they have discounted prices on electronics, cameras, games, books, clothing and more - all of the things you’ll be looking at for holiday gifts. We’re not talking knock-offs or Brand X items either - Buy.com stocks all of the major brands. You’ll be starting your own holiday shopping soon if you haven’t already. You really should bookmark Buy.com and check them first for everyday bargains and special sale prices. It’s a great place to stretch your holiday budget.

Technorati Tags: /Buy.com, DVDs, movies, shopping

September 25, 2008

Four Foods on Friday 48

I’ve been late the last couple of weeks, but I remembered on time this week to answer Val’s questions for Four Food on Friday. You’re welcome to join us if you like. Write a post on your blog answering the questions, then go to the link above and let Val know you’ve participated.

#1. Melon. What’s your favorite kind?

Watermelon. The taste always takes me back to picnics and fairs when I was a child.

#2. Orange citrus. What’s your favorite - oranges, nectarines, navel oranges, tangerines, etc.

No citrus for me, ever - extreme allergy!

#3. Oreos. What kind is your favorite? (Don’t eat Oreos? What about olives?)

Love the originals. I’ve never seen any reason to try the varieties that have come out in recent years. Why mess with perfection?

#4. Pot pie. Share a recipe. (No pot pie recipe? What about a casserole or some other hot meal you bake?)

I’ve never made a pot pie. How’s about a pork roast instead? A well-trimmed pork butt will not have much fat, so it makes a good, nutritious meal that won’t make you feel like you need prescription weight loss pills.

Select a pork butt of sufficient size for the crowd you plan on feeding. I like root vegetables with a roast, so I most often use carrots, potatoes and onions, but go with your preference - zuccinnni or other squash, peppers, leeks, turnips - whatever is in season and appeals to your pallet. If you have a cast iron dutch oven, now is the time to use it.

Brown the roast in a little olive oil over high heat. Sear the sides as well as the top and bottom. Remove from pot. Add a little extra oil if needed, turn the flame down to medium and dump prepared (peeled and chopped) vegetables in. Cook those until brown, then return the roast to the pot. Add seasonings. My preferences: marjorum, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour about a cup of water or broth over it all, cover and cook in a 350 degree oven for about forty-five to fifty minutes per pound. Check when about halfway through cooking and add more liquid if needed (I like to add a little red wine at this point.) The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F when done. Allow the roast to rest about ten minutes before slicing and serving. A crisp salad and bread are all that’s needed to round out the meal.

Technorati Tags: food, meme, recipe, roast pork

Another great giveaway - supporting Susan G. Koman for the Cure!

My pal Laurie will be walking in the Breast Cancer 3Day in the Dallas/Fort Worth area soon. She and co-captain Nikki have been working hard at getting ready for the walk and they’ve also invested their time in numerous fund-raising events. Their team has raised $11,993.00 towards their $20,000 goal. You can help them meet their goal by following the link and making a donation. Today they announced another way you can support the cause:

Every year Lean Cuisine offers lunch totes that benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The 2008 totes are now available! They are $9.95 each and $5 of the price goes to the charity.

Go to their 3Day site and enter for your chance to win one of these stylish and functional lunch totes. They’ve made it easy for you to buy a tote through a link on their site, but no purchase is neccessary to enter the giveaway. You’ve got nothing to lose and we all have so much to gain by supporting the important cause, so get on over there today while it’s on your mind!

Technorati Tags: Breast Cancer fundraiser, charity, contest, giveaway, Susan G. Koman for the Cure

Watches, watches, watches!

If you’ve been reading skeet’s stuff for a while you know that my son collects watches. He was a teen when Swatches first came out and it became popular to wear several at one time. He’s been adding watches to his collection ever since. No, scratch that. I’ve been adding to his collection ever since. I have to buy him a watch for either Christmas or his birthday each year. He’s big on tradition and would be devastated if I failed to come across. Sometimes I manage to find two that I think he’ll like and he gets watches for both occasions. A couple of years ago I gave him a watch display cabinet and I’m pretty sure he filled it up with the watches he already had on hand. Seriously, he treats watches like some women treat shoes: he has to have a full wardrobe and it has to be constantly updated. Someone rudely pointed out on Twitter this morning that Christmas is now just three months away. Ulp! It’s already time to start shopping again? Since my son’s birthday is in January I do the shopping for both celebration simultaneously, so that means I have a lot of gifts to buy over the next few months. I’ll be doing most of my shopping online this year and today I started looking at Movado watches, specifically their sport’s watches. The last two years I gave the boy high-fashion designer watches that he wears to work (he deals Texas Hold ‘Em in a casino, so his hands and wrists are always “on display.”) Unlike his old mom, he has a life outside of work, and his favorite leisure activity these days is Frisbee Golf, so a good sport’s watch would get a lot of use. I’m leaning towards the one pictured here since he wears jeans a lot. What do you think?

I should have closed the site after I bookmarked a couple of watches for my son. Some of the Movado womens watches caught my eye, though, and I just had to check them out. Now I’m in love with the Movado Semi Moon Ladies watch. Isn’t that the most intriguing watch design you’ve seen in ages? I’m working hard at decluttering my life and am not about to start building a watch collection as impressive as my son’s, but one more watch would be such a small thing. In keeping with my current committment, I have to get rid of at least two items for each new item I bring into the house. I don’t wear my “good” gold watch anymore (a gift from someone I’d rather not be reminded of) and I’m sure I can find something else to shove out the door so I can get the watch with a clear conscience. Actually, I haven’t thought this plan out yet. Do I have to get rid of something if someone else gives me something? Like say, if my son gives me the watch for Christmas? Hee! Escape clause! I think I’ll start working on my Christmas wish list today!

Technorati Tags: Christmas shopping, collections, Movado watches, shopping, sons, watches

Contest reminder: BlueEgg Photography Gift Pack

There’s less than a week left to get your entries in for the BlueEgg Photography giveaway. The prize is a gift pack featuring a lovely set of BlueEgg foodie notecards plus vanilla beans and extract. Entering is easy! Go to the link above for the rules. Post a comment on that post telling me which BlueEgg Photography notecard is your favorite and why. Do not skip this step! The original post also tells you how you can earn extra entries, so go there for details. Only five days left - get it in gear!

Technorati Tags: art, BlueEgg Photography, contest, food art, giveaway, notecards

Neighborhood growth revisited

We’ll be getting new neighbors soon. Back in November of 2006 I first blogged about the transitional housing community that was planned for some vacant government property near my home. When I first met with the state official in charge of the project I was told that completion was scheduled for September of 2007. The work was being fast-tracked because of the housing crisis throughout the state and the alarming number of homeless camping on beaches and other public lands. Bureaucracy is a slow and lumbering beast, and it was early 2008 before we began to see any signs of development.

Last April we finally started seeing real progress. Keawi and scrub brush had been bulldozed and hauled away. Truckloads of building materials arrived daily. The entrance street for our community was dug up so water lines could be upgraded and extended into the new project. At public meetings before construction started, we asked that the sub-street work be completed prior to commencement of building. It seemed sensible to us (neighboring homeowners) to dig up the street, do the work, and then get it put back together before the daily onslaught of construction traffic began. I guess the state didn’t see any logic in the suggestion.

A few weeks ago I blogged about the headaches that could have been avoided if the state had listened to us. Sure enough, the old and crumbling water lines could not handle the added traffic and new connections. Water main breaks became a way of life. Our community has, for the most part, rallied in support of the transitional housing development. We know our property values will decline a bit, but the homeless situation is so huge that everyone needs to make a few sacrifices as solutions are put in place. We all wish our personal sacrifices hadn’t incuded giving up little luxuries like access to fresh water, but that phase of the work seems to finally have reached completion. All of the excavations beneath our streets were filled in about a week ago. It’s still a bumpy, muddy mess, but repaving should commence as soon as the fill has had time to settle and compact.

I’ve grumbled a little about the disruptions, but I haven’t really minded. If it gets on my nerves I only need to remind myself that I have been incredibly blessed. A half-mile from my home people live in tents. Many of them have been without the security of solid walls and the comforts of on-demand utilities for years. While I’m fretting about how slow my work has been lately, some of them are wishing they had an address to put on job applications. While my neighbor is looking for funding for a franchise opportunity, they’re looking for a few dollars to put shoes on their kids’ feet. Going without showers for a day or two and being awakened by heavy machinery every day - not that big a deal.

A year ago this was nothing but a weedy, brush-filled lot. Eight months ago the transformation started to become visible. Only a few weeks ago the new buildings looked raw and unfinished sitting in their muddy field. Since then we’ve seen streets and parking areas paved. I was excited the first time I saw the stair-railings in place - the first decorative touches I’ve seen. It makes the dream more real. I’ll be getting new neighbors soon. That’s pretty cool.

Technorati Tags: construction, Hawaii, homeless, housing crisis, transitional housing