Fred's Minnesota Blog

Weekly Update.

2012-02-12T05:56:00.000-08:00

I have been refining my cookie making technique. This week I was able to find the old mixer base that I got for a wedding present.

It is a very nice avocado color, very 70's.

The problem was that I couldn't find the mixing bowls that go with it. I used one of my other mixing bowls and had to tape it on the bottom.

The "Little One" ready to cook!

Mixing up the cookie dough. This week I made chocolate chip cookies with raisins and nuts. The recipe called for twelve oz of chocolate chips....wow that's a lot, so I used six oz of chocolate chips and six oz of raisins.

Having a little taste!

"Is that cookie dough all over your mouth?"

"Don't worry Grandpa, I can lick it off!"

First batch out of the oven.

The cookies all done, cooling off.

A drink and a cookie at Grandpa's house, what could be better.

Weekend Update

2012-02-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

This week the "Little One" and I made oatmeal cookies.

Here he is looking on as I was taking them from the oven.

The dough was as good as the cookies!!

"Stand back, they are caliente"

Saturn Project Part Two.

Oh, I got a package.

It must be a windshield wiper transmission!

All installed.

Back to normal. Saved $300 dollars.

Flat Tire

2012-02-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

I went out this week to take some books back to the library only to find my bicycle had a flat tire!

I called Aunt Martha to get some tire advice. She recommended I get not only a new tube but since my tire was worn out to get a new tire.

After spending most of the day going from store to store looking for the best price I found a tire and tube I could afford.

It only took a couple of minutes to change it.

New tire and old tire. The new tire, even though the size is the same, is a bit smaller than the old one.

Now I am off to the library.

Weekend Update

2012-01-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend Liz and I went to the Minneapolis Orchestra.

Liz at the restaurant before the concert.

In other news:

Last week we had some snow and as luck would have it with a fleet of four wheel drive vehicles, both Kate and Gerardo were out in it with the two wheel drive cars!

Gerardo got the Saturn stuck and in the process of getting it "unstuck" broke the windshield wiper transmission. The first step in the repair was to remove the wiper arms, but they were frozen onto the shafts! The cheapest professional puller was $104 but I was able to make my standard gear puller work after some effort.

With the wiper arms removed I then had to get the cover panel off.

That required the removal of the hood.

The wiper transmission and motor removed.

A close-up of the broken part. Since there are no more Saturn dealers, I have had to order the part on line and it will take a few days before the story continues.

Weekly Update

2012-01-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

The "Little One" wanted some trucks to play with. I went down and got some out of one of the many cardboard boxes I have in the basement and ran them through the "car wash".

Nice collection!

I have been storing his toys in a "shopping cart" but now is time to move up to a toy box.

He liked his toy box and wanted to take it home!!

We then made cookies.

I only wanted to do one batch in the oven so they got a bit close together on the cookie sheet.

Then it was lunch time. Noodle soup, his favorite.

After a nap and a walk with the dog it was time to enjoy some TV.

A drink, a cookie, and a truck in front of the TV, what can be better?

For dinner it was homemade Pizza!!

Sunday Dinner

2012-01-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday I had Kate, Gerardo, the "Little One", Liz, and Rosealle over for dinner.

Table all set.

Rosealle and the "Little One".

Practicing making "Snow Angels".

With Kate.

An Addition From Thursday

2012-01-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

I had a lobster dish for dinner with Kate, Gerardo, and the "Little One" this week. It is a long story where the lobsters came from and I will not go into it now.

While the sauce had good flavor and was easy, I want to remember the recipe so I can make it better next time. I cooked the half lobsters for four minutes, not quite enough, I will do five minutes next time.

My guests enjoying their meal. Isn't he cute?

Recipe:

2 tbs butter

2 tbs corn starch (level)

1 cup chix. broth

1 tsp garlic powder

boil mixture, add salt to taste

add

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup of milk

1-2 tbs dried parsley

1/4 cup wine

stir until cheese is melted and smooth

Garage project

2012-01-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

I needed a threaded 1 1/2 inch fitting for a project and thought I had a die to cut it, but I didn't. My pipe threading dies only go to 1 1/4 inch.

But my lathe is able to cut the 11 1/2 threads per inch I required!

I said, "Why don't I just thread a piece of pipe instead of getting in the car and going to Menard's and buying one?" It was very cold outside and I didn't feel like riding my bike. Of course I am too "cheap ass" to drive my car.

The first problem was the gear ratio to cut the threads wasn't correct.

Out came my little tool box and I was able to sort through the parts to find the correct gears.

Installation of the top gear.

And the installation of the bottom gear. It took me the whole day (the original gears were stuck onto the shafts and I had to make a tool so I could pull them off with my gear puller.) At the end, I realized I should have driven over to Menard's and paid the $2.00 for a plastic pipe nipple. Oh Well, the joys of retirement.

Cold weather is here.

2012-01-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

I got up this morning to be greeted by the first sub-zero temperatures of the season.

It is cold inside and out.

The "Little One" was shivery and his mother insisted I turn up the heat.

Last night I had Liz over for dinner and made "City Chicken". It turned out pretty well except it is not what I remember.

I received a new camera for Christmas.

We will see if I blog more now that the temperature has gotten such that I can no longer work outside.

December Update

2012-01-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas

I got the house all decorated, actually I carried my tree down from the spare bedroom and set it up. It took about 10 minutes.

Liz made some special requests from Santa.

This year, due to Global Warming, we had a brown Christmas. Just like we used to have in Michigan. I liked it. Kate, The Little One, the Dog, and I for a walk before dinner.

Kate cooking the creamed spinach for Christmas Dinner.

Here it is being drained, waiting for the cream sauce.

We had lobster and crab legs along with a prime rib.

Our traditional Christmas Photo.

I have a Holiday Party every year. This year we had pan fried rib-eye steaks (I got the recipe from The Test Kitchen and it worked!!) and lobsters. The one at Christmas was a bit overcooked but these were perfect. Bob cooked them!

November Update

2011-12-03T14:47:00.001-08:00

November was a very busy month. I would like to use that as an excuse for not blogging very much, but I can't. Be that as it may.

The month started off with nice weather, here Kate and the "Little One" are walking over for a visit.

Then it was off to LA to visit Fritz and enjoy the Twins birthday.

This is Frankie on the day we visited the Train Museum. It was very cold, for California that is.

The Twins with Fritz.

The Twins Birthday Party at home.

The next day we had a party and invited friends.

Frankie getting ready to hit the "Pinata".

Freddie was much more into it.

Here he is getting ready to attack.

Frankie.

Freddie.

I was home in time for Thanksgiving.

Kate the "Little One" and the turkey.

The weather was still pretty nice, for Minnesota that is.

We had Stuffing (oyster and sausage), Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Mashed Potatoes, and of course Turkey. For dessert we had Pecan Pie.

Thanksgiving Dinner.

My water softener started acting erratically and I replaced it.

The fittings where the plastic adaptors screw into the copper tubing leaked so I had to take it apart and fix it, it is OK now. The box above the water softener is my heater for the sauna.

The last event for the month was the "Little One's" birthday.

Liz brought her granddaughter Rosealle.

The "Little One" telling us about his day.

Rosealle playing in the shopping cart.

Mexican Adventure Part Three, The Villa

2011-11-28T06:17:00.001-08:00

The Villa.

The garden.

Another view.

The pool.

A pool party.

Working on the dishwasher.

A lizard to keep down the insects.

Kate on the patio.

Liz relaxing on the Patio.

The "Little One" getting a snack.

The "Little One" and Kate in the kitchen.

We went to a restaurant in Zihautanejo called "The Fat Mermaid".

The food was very good and inexpensive.

Mexican Adventure Part Two, The Ocean

2011-11-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

View on the Beach.

Taking Pictures

Walking on the beach.

Playing in the water.

What a crew!!

Liz on the beach.

Another view of the beach.

Kate posing overlooking the beach.

Mexican Adventure Part One

2011-11-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

We are off to the Villa in Mexico.

Here Kate and Liz are sorting out the luggage.

Liz discussing the trip with the "Little One".

A snack in Houston while we waited for the connecting flight.

View from the airplane landing in Zihuatango

The shoreline.

Liz and Pati at the airport.

Relaxing beside the pool.

Happy Birthday Fred

2011-10-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

I hada nice Birthday party. I made Rouladen with mashed potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Here Kate and I are cooking.

Sitting down for dinner.

Afterwards we had the party.

The "Little One" playing with my funnel.

Trying it on the dog.

What a "cutie".

Retirement

2011-10-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I retired at the end of September. I have found out that what my retiree friends have told me is true, I am busier now than when I was working. I enjoyed my job but the time came for me to try something different.

One of my first projects was mounting an umbrella on my deck so I can sit and drink beer in the afternoon.

I welded up a couple of brackets to support it off the railing.

All done.

The brake lines on the truck rusted out and I had to repair.

I borrowed Pete's double flaring tool and made new lines. I cut the fittings off then drilled out the old tubing on my lathe.

I was able to do the whole job for the cost of the tubing.

Apples

2011-09-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

I have pretty good apples this year even though the deer are eating them at a tremendous rate.

I have made applesauce and an apple pie.

Ready for the top crust.

Ready to bake.All done.

Weekend Projects

2011-09-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

Now that my grill has been rebuilt, I decided to try another turkey.

I used a new pan.

Here it is all ready to go.

It is starting to get done.

Sitting down for dinner.

Leftovers for sandwiches and lunches.

Another project was the repair of Kate's garage door opener.

It was an interesting failure mode.

The bearing retainer at the top of the drive unit failed and the sprocket at the top of the shaft cut itself off after a time. It always made a lot of noise.

New shaft, bearing retainer, and sprocket all installed. It operates a lot quieter now.

Fun at the Fair

2011-09-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

We are off to the fair.

I am always trying to find something new to make at the fair. this year I found hot dogs wrapped in pretzel dough. They were then baked so the pretzels were soft. I think I will try to boil them first and then bake them to make hard pretzels. My bread machine has a recipe for pretzel dough.

Gerardo and the "Little One" checking out the animals.

Checking out the tractor.

"Now." he said, "this is more my speed!"

Off for a spin.

A small electrical scooter.

The End of August.

2011-08-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Garden Update

I tried to protect some of my garden plants form the deer with chicken wire cages. Here is a cucumber that grew into the wire!

I made a pork roast on the grill. It was very good.

Here is the "Little One" enjoying dinner.

We also had Baked Beans and Potato Salad.

The "Little One" after dinner.

Weekend Update

2011-08-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of the grand kids.The "Little One", Roselle, and Frankie.
Frankie. Freddie and the Basketball.
Now he has it controlled!!!
"It is all mine!", he said with determination.
Frankie with her breakfast.
The "Little One" digging into his breakfast.

Canoeing Pictures
The canoe with supplies.
Taking a quick dip to cool off.
What is that beverage?
Liz even went in the water it was so hot.

Garden Update
I was using some chicken wire to try to keep the deer from eating my tomatoes and a cucumber grew inside the cage.
My other cucumber. I think this is my last year for a garden, It just isn't worth the effort to feed the deer.

Lifter mechanism improved.
I welded a stiffener bar on my lifter mechanism, it really improves the stiffness of the support arms.

Grill Repair and Deck Staining

2011-08-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I worked on getting my grill repaired. I broke it trying to cook an eighteen pound turkey. I guess I was the turkey. Taken apart showing the burner.
New rods welded up to support the heat diffuser.
Getting ready to power wash it before assembly.

All done, ready for some burgers.

While I had the power washer out, I thought I would go ahead and wash the deck.

Nice and clean.

With a coat of stain.
The "Little One" playing with his friend.

Cooking Update

2011-08-13T06:50:00.001-07:00

I tried to make a Turkey on the rotisserie. It was an eighteen pounder that I got for 39 cents a pound last Thanksgiving.
It didn't even close to fitting!!!
It broke the grate that holds the stones.
I was able to find an aluminum pan and when I put it inside the grill, the lid wouldn't close!!! I drilled a couple of holes lower in the grill and put a couple of rods through the ends to support the pan. I put the grates back on to of the rods to keep the pan from bending. I now have to rebuild the whole thing before I can grill again. I will detail in another post.

This weekend, I made dinner, ham with mac and cheese.
Homemade mac and cheese.
Dinner at Kate's house.

Kate "making a plate".
The "Little One" is no longer using the highchair, he has now moved into a "booster" chair. How quickly they grow up.

Fritz and Patricia's visit

2011-08-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

Fritz and Patricia brought the twins to Minnesota for a visit.Frankie.
Freddie.
Hello there!! Playing in the boat.
Aftermath in the house.
Freddie attacking a basket ball.
Now he has it.
Dinner was always an adventure.
Kate with the "Little One". Typical dinner with all the kids.
Frankie with her dad.
The "Little One" with Gerardo.

Liz with her grand daughter, Roselle. Some pork ribs cooking on the grill.
Portrait of the kids.

Truck Repair, Not Again!!!!

2011-07-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned on one of my earlier posts, the muffler plugged up on the truck. A couple of weeks after I had replaced the muffler, it plugged up again. What was happening was the inside of the Catalytic Converter was disintegrating and plugging up the system.

Many years ago I was down visiting Uncle Walter and he gave me Grandpa Fritz's oxygen acetylene welding system and I finally ended up with a job where I had to take the tanks in to the local welding supply and get them filled.

Once you are in for the cost of tank inspection, registration, and filling, I went ahead and bought new hoses. The regulators and other equipment was all checked out OK.

Catalytic converter removed from truck. I had to use the cutting torch to remove the bolts from the exhaust manifold.

Tail Pipe and "Cherry Bomb" muffler.

After I beat all the insides out of the converter I re-installed it.

The muffler.

The stuff that was inside the Catalytic converter.

The truck ready to go again.

Snowblower Repair

2011-07-22T07:03:00.001-07:00

My friend Warren gave me a computer monitor in exchange for fixing his snow blower. The drive gear wore out that powers the auger. I had to take it into the shop at work to get them to help me push off the gear.

The auger drive shaft with the impeller that throws the snow out the chute.

At one time or another it must have picked up a stone because one of the blades was bent.

Getting it ready to install onto the drive unit.

Front view almost all assembled.

Weekend Update

2011-07-20T12:07:00.001-07:00

This week it was so hot that Liz and I went canoeing. Paddling upstream in the Mississippi river was difficult because the river is high due to the rain we have had.
There were also a lot of trees down because of the storms.
Here I am taking a quick dip in the river.

Kate, Gerardo and Aunt Sylvia.

I had a couple of day road trip for work and stopped in to see Ed and Alicia. Both are doing really well.

Then we had a graduation party for Liz. It was to be an outdoor party but because it was so hot we ended up inside, yes, even though I like it hot, it has been so hot that I turned on my air conditioner.

A Summer Update

2011-07-09T05:53:00.001-07:00

On my return from Turkey, I made a Turkey for the 4th of July. Putting it together.
Cooking it on the grill.
It is starting to look pretty good.

Sitting down for dinner, with Kate and Gerardo, Liz, and Pati and Aunt Silvia and of course the "Little One".

I finally got the Truck running, it had a plugged up muffler if you can believe it. What a project.

I helped Mike take his cans to the recycler. He got $335 dollars for them.

Liz said that she thought the Blazer brakes were making funny noises.

So I took them apart to check.

Sure enough, I needed new ones.

Here is the "Little One" enjoying an ice cream sandwich.

Some More Pictures of Turkey.

2011-07-03T05:48:00.001-07:00

This was the view from the hotel I stayed at in Istanbul. Another view of the Bosphorus.
View from the Topkapi Palace Museum.

Leaches being sold at the Spice Market.

A view inside the Grand Bazaar.

Some interesting outfits.

These are the ancient walls of the city. 1,500 to 2,000 years old.

I enjoyed walking around the city.

Some People I worked with in Turkey.

2011-06-29T10:06:00.001-07:00

Chloe and I, François looking on as we were going out to dinner.

The bus to take us to work.
Waiting for the bus in the morning.

Riding the bus.

A couple of workers at the factory.

A couple more, having a snack.

Sitting at the desk. Mark, me, and Mike.

My friendly sandwich guy.

Walking Around Istanbul

2011-06-20T03:05:00.001-07:00

Before I left Turkey, I toured around the city of Istanbul.

The Hagia Sophia.

This was originally built as a church but converted during the Ottoman period.

At Hagia Sophia.

Then I was off to the Blue Mosque.

I also went to the Basilica Cistern

This is Medusa's Head, it was used for the foundaton for one of the roof supports. Because this was strickly an engineering project, they used whatever was handy.

Then I went to the Spice Market.

Trip to Gallipoli

2011-05-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

I went on a field trip to the battle fields of Gallipoli. Here is the route we took. We left Mustafakamelpasa in the morning and drove to Lapsekj where we crossed on the ferry. We then drove down the peninsula to the battle grounds and at the end of the day crossed back to the mainland at Canakkale.

The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the (in modern day Turkey) between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War.

The ferry at Lapsekj.

Landing at Gelibolu.

The first stop in Gallipoli was the welcome center with a large map of the battle fields.

A fortification on the beach.

I climbed up to see what was inside.

A cemetery

This is the beach where the British and Australians landed. The water was very clear and and nice.

We then drove up to the heights where the Turkish army was located.

The Turkish soldiers had trenches to keep the British from getting off the beach.

A view of the beached from the trenches. What a commanding position.

The channel is called "The Sea Of Marmara". The ship is going up to Istanbul.

This is an Ottoman fort in Eceabat.

Doug climbed up to the top of the wall and walked around the fort.

Then it was time for dinner.

Raki is the national drink in Turkey. It tastes like liquorish and is mixed with chilled water.

We had calamari for an appetiser.

Then fish for dinner.

On the ferry to Canakkale and back to the hotel.

More Pictures of the Onion Market

2011-05-21T03:46:00.001-07:00

Lunch at the Onion Market. Peppers. Salad.

Red Peppers.

Onions.

Entree'.

My co-workers.

Onions at the market.

Lunch at the Onion Market

2011-05-14T06:05:00.001-07:00

This Saturday, we had to work so we all went out for lunch at the "Onion Market" in Karacabey. At the "Onion Market" you do not get a choice of dishes. Typically, it is only for the merchants that sell onions but they will serve anyone. They brought a lot of "pita" type bread that was very good.
It is like family style. We has salad with onions, spicy peppers, and roasted peppers to start. In this part of Turkey, they use onions as the Russians used cabbage. The entree was lamb in a spicy sauce. It was very good.

We had a choice of candied pumpkins or a a small cake soaked in sweet sauce for dessert. I definitely got enough to eat. I didn't get any pictures of the market, next time.

Fish Stories

2011-05-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

I was watching the fishermen in the river in front of the hotel. One of the fish.
A bag of fish. They clean them and then fry them and eat them like smelts, bones and all.
A happy fisherman. there are three fish in his net. Here is taking them out.

Some more fish at the market, very fresh in fact still alive.

A Sunday Trip to Erdek

2011-05-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend we visited the resort town of Erdek. Here is a map of where I am and the route we took to get to Erdek.
Here I am on the pier, while it was a nice day the resort is not open yet. Most of the shops were closed and there were not very many people around.
Here I am standing on the beach.

We found an "Engineer's Bar" but it was closed. We may have to come again.
I don't know about the statues.

A lot of room for development.

In the town they had this sculpture of the struggle of the people of Turkey.
I have no idea of what it says.
For lunch I had a pizza, very similar to the ones I have had before. They are very big into onions and I am getting with the program.Of course an Efes afterwards helps.

A walk around Town

2011-05-07T07:48:00.001-07:00

A walk around Mustafakemalpasa.

I am standing in the square beside the hotel. From here, I walked down to the dam to watch the fishermen. They do not use hooks, but some sort of net arrangement. People fishing from the dam.
If you enlarge the picture you can see the net they use.
There were also fishermen down stream from the dam. The fish they were catching were small, like sardines or smelt.

Lunches at the factory are especially good.
Typical lunch is soup, salad, entree, pasta, desert, and bread.
Some of my co-workers also eating lunch.
Here is another lunch.

Now a couple of light dinners.
This is a type of pizza.

This is a meat plate with salad and rice.

Selected Meals in Turkey.

2011-05-07T03:15:00.000-07:00

People are always interested in what I eat so I will post some pictures of some of the meals with some short discriptions.

This was a combination plate of various Turkish meats.

These are grilled chicken filets.

This was meat cooked inside a rolled up pastry shell. The onions are quite sweet and are eaten like lettuce in a salad. there was also a lot of parsley in the salad.

This was also grilled chicken, the white is yogurt, which they use like sour cream as a condiment.

Trip to the Market.

On Sunday we went to the farmer's market to see what we were going to eat for dinner.

These are some fish at the Sunday market. Some were still alive.

These are nice sized ones that I would be interested in baking with stuffing.

Fresh vegetables and fruits.

These look good.

Egg Plant, very popular in Turkey.

Trip To Turkey

2011-05-01T03:47:00.001-07:00

I am off on an adventure to Turkey, working on a project for my employer. I left on Easter Sunday and flew to Amsterdam then on to Instanbul where I stayed overnight. The next morning I took the ferry over the Sea of Marmara to Bursa where I was picked up by a Taxis and taken to the factory.

Not my ferry but one just like it.

Seating on the ferry, it took about an hour and a half.

The city of Bursa.

Unloading from the ferry.

Driving to the factory. The horse farm is on the left. I will see if I can't get a tour.
The view from the hotel. The name of the town where I am staying is Mustafakemalpasa.
The hotel, pronounced "Honda".
This is a statue of a famous WWI general. I am getting ready to go to work.

Weekend Update

2011-04-23T12:17:00.001-07:00

The "Little One" and I went for a walk on Tuesday. His hands got cold so he had to wear "Big People" gloves.

For Wednesday night dinner we had Stuffed Pork Chops.
Gravey and bread.
Close-up of the pork chops.
The "Little One" really liked them.

Standard weekly picture.

Easter Celebration.
The "Little One" trying on some gloves to color Easter Eggs.
Sitting in his chair.
Coloring the eggs.

All Done.
Then it was dinner time.
We had lamb from the grill.

This Has Been a Slow Week.

2011-04-16T12:41:00.001-07:00

This week for Wednesday dinner we had grilled chicken thighs on the grill. The weather was very nice, starting to feel like spring. Grilled chicken. The "Little One" with some appetizers.

Weekly picture.

Corn, baked potatoes, cottage cheese.

The next morning Mother Nature was back.

While it wasn't a blizzard, I had hoped we had seen the last of the snow. Well it is only April, in another month or so we should have spring.

Weekend Update

2011-04-09T15:16:00.001-07:00

This week we had rouladen for dinner. Rouladen (or Rinderroulade, singular: roulade) are a German meat usually consisting of bacon, onions, mustard and pickles wrapped in thinly sliced beef which is then cooked. In some countries, the roulade is also known as "beef olive".

Here the "Little One" is cheering for more.

I pressure cooked the roulades after browning them. Mashed Potatoes

Sweet corn and sour cream gravy. The "Little One" was very well behaved. But then he is always well behaved.

Weekend Update

2011-04-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Kate and Gerardo brought the "Little One" over for lettuce wraps. We had lettuce wraps, asparagus, fried noodles,and fried rice. The "Little One " was very well behaved.

Hummmm this is good!

Liz's Saturn has developed wheel bearing problems. It took a couple of hours to get the hubs off. Then it was off to take them to the machine shop.

Movie of the week.

Weekend Update

2011-03-27T08:44:00.001-07:00

My friend Marlene stopped over because her brakes were making noise. I took them apart and while they were worn, I said we could wait till the summer to put on new pads. In the process, I noticed that there was a puddle of anti-freeze on the floor. It turned out that her water pump was leaking. Marlene posing with the water pump. After some trials and tribulations, I installed a new water pump for her.

Liz and I went to the orchestra and had dinner at Brits downtown Minneapolis. It was very nice.

Sunday, I went with Liz to Rosalie's first birthday party.Lets dig in with that!!!

Dinner On Wednesday with Kate, Liz and the "Little One" Now there is a Tee shirt I can enjoy. We had oven fried chicken,

What is that kid eating?

With homemade (from Bisquick) biscuits.

Chicken

Mashed Potatoes and gravy.

On Friday it was off to the Library.

"Little One" and I relaxing and reading.

He was so well behaved I let him drive home.

Last week it snowed again, and I had an odd adventure. Kate and Gerardo stopped in to see me on Sunday morning and they thought I had locked the garage door (it was just frozen shut) so they came around to the front door and discovered a package all covered with snow. I never use the front door, but I like to keep an eye on it because I get packages occasionally and they get placed by the front door. This package had been sitting outside for at least three weeks. Oh well, it wasn't for me, Kate and Gerardo took it home with them.

Gerardo's Birthday

2011-03-20T08:16:00.001-07:00

This year Gerardo and Kate were at the Villa for Gerardo's birthday. So we had a small celebrations when they got home. Gerardo wearing his new jacket. Fried Catfish, out on the deck.

Doesn't that look good.

Sitting down for dinner with the "Little One". We had fired Catfish, homemade macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw.

The happy couple plus one.

Watching the "Little One"

2011-03-13T06:25:00.001-07:00

I watched the "Little One" this week and took him out for a walk to get some fresh air. Who dressed that "Little One"? It must have been Grandpa. Liz stopped over with her granddaughter, Rosalie. Rosalie has just turned one. The two of them playing with the dog.

Then on Wednesday, Kate came for dinner, this week we had bean soup. Bean soup and homemade bread. Just the thing for a cold winter night.

Spring is on its way.

The snow is starting to melt, it won't be more than another couple of months till it is spring.

They plowed up my lawn along with the snow this year.

Kate's Baby Pictures

2011-03-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

Someone mentioned that they were interested in a comparison between the "Little One" and Kate when she was his age. I made a collage to use as a comparison. I don't think they look anything alike but what do I know?

Weekend Update

2011-03-05T07:19:00.001-08:00

I watched the "Little One" this week.Here he is taking his nap. The only time he is quiet. We went for a walk, here he is trying to walk on his shadow.

Liz and Kate (along with the "Little One" and the dog) came over for American tacos on Wednesday. I forgot to get a picture while we were eating so I took this one as they were getting ready to leave.

Here is the "Little One" playing with the taco shells.

Plant Projects

2011-02-27T13:59:00.001-08:00

I have a sick plant. As far as I know I have treated both of my African Violets the same but one is sick. They sit side by side.This is the healthy one.

Here is the sad little one. If anyone has an idea to the problem I would be interested. These African Violets I got from my mother many years ago. Kathleen made a bunch of babies from them and I have kept these two. We all get old.

Liz and Kate (along with the "Little One") were over for dinner on Wednesday and helped me re-pot these two plants. I hope these pots last for a while.

Weekend Update

2011-02-20T07:16:00.001-08:00

I have had a sorely trying week. Every now and then, I have some problems around the house. This week I broke my foot. I was playing on the computer and making tea (that will teach me I should have been drinking beer) and the tea kettle started screaming and I jumped up to turn it off and stepped down on the side of my foot. What a foot.Of course I was in great pain so I went to the doctor and he took an x-ray. He then sent me to the orthopedist only to find out they don't do anything for these foot injuries. Stay off of it for a few weeks is what they said.

So as I was "staying off" of my foot we had a blizzard. Snow piled up at the end of my driveway.

My snow blower hardly up to the job.

Then I was resting in my chair and I heard an explosion in the kitchen.

Investigation showed that one of my plant pots had exploded.

Isn't that something?

Kate's Birthday Party

2011-02-13T12:35:00.001-08:00

Starting off with Sticky Buns, someone is tasting them!!!
The "Special Day" plate for the "Special Day" Person. Gerardo showing off the crab legs.

The Special Day person testing out her chair.

Group photo.

Now Who Is That??

Oh, its the "Little One"

Kate getting ready to blow out her candles.

Cold Weather Ends, Thaw Begins

2011-02-06T06:42:00.001-08:00

Cold Weather Go Away. It has been very cold the past few weeks and I have been unable to do anything but survive. Now that the weather is moderating a bit, maybe I can do a bit of Blogging again. So this weekend as it started to warm up, I decided to do some jobs around the house.

Washing the Blazer in the driveway. It is nice to have a clean car again. Note: It was in the low 30's when I washed the car, the -16F was from a couple of days earlier before it warmed up.

Meat Loaf Dinner

2011-01-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

I had Kate and the "Little One" over for dinner and made Meat Loaf.Sitting down to eat.
Meat Loaf, half Beef and half Turkey with oatmeal and some bacon strips on top. Gravy and mash potatoes and green beans.

Weekend Update

2011-01-22T15:26:00.001-08:00

For the past few years, Liz and I have had dinner together once a week. I find living alone I tend to "sink eat" and this is a good method for me to maintain my "company" manners along with my cooking skills. Since the first of this year Gerardo has had a class on Wednesday nights so I invited Kate to join us for dinner.
Kate, of course, brought along the "Little One".
This week we had Spaghetti and Meat Balls.
Here is the "Little One" wondering around after dinner.
Isn't he cute?

WeekEnd Update

2011-01-16T06:52:00.001-08:00

I watched the "Little One" this week.He said, "I can fill these shoes!"
And off he went.

Later he thought it would be nice to get a ride in a box.

Well who to get to pull me?

I guess it has to be Grandpa.

The Beginning of the New Year

2011-01-09T06:29:00.001-08:00

For the past few years I have had a New Years Dinner Party for some of my friends. This year was no different.

Dinner for eight.
Preparing the Lobsters.Patti making Creamed Spinach. Naomi, Bob, and Mike. Sitting down to dinner. Marlene and Joanne.

Kate, Gerardo, and the "Little One" home from their trip.

A Food corner posting.
Cooking Potato Pancakes. You shred potatoes, two eggs, flour, onion, and seasoning.

Fry in bacon grease.

Home For the Holidays

2011-01-02T10:10:00.001-08:00

While "That Girl" and her family were enjoying the sun and warm weather I was shoveling snow.

Minnesota typically gets 60 inches of snow a year. Right now we are barely three months into the winter season and we have already had 52 inches of snow. Nothing is worse than the snow trucks pushing all the snow back into the driveway

I had to not only shovel my drive but also Kate's.

Liz walking the dog.

I have a dinner party around the New Year for my friends. This year the weekend before the party my oven broke. I had a couple of people over for Bean Soup and homemade bread and they were shocked as I tore into it. An igniter from e-bay was $24 plus shipping, but I have Center Point Energy Home Repair Plan (I had it for Kathleen while I was traveling and have not gotten around to cancelling it) and they came on Thursday and fixed it for free. Not to be outdone, my furnace igniter went bad on Friday and Center Point had to come back and fix that the next day. Life is always interesting.

Christmas Update

2010-12-26T06:55:00.001-08:00

One commenter asked why we had an early Christmas this year. The reason is because Kate and Gerardo and the "Little One" were off to the Villa. People in Minnesota all have Summer Cabins, I cannot understand why, It is nice in the cities during the summer, It is in the winter you need someplace to hide. How many weeks of snow before you need a break? So I decided; along with "That Girl", to do something about it.
So we bought a house in Mexico. There are three of us in a partnership. Kate, her sister in law, and myself.
So during the Christmas Holidays, Kate and Gerardo went down to check it out.Now this is living.

View from the dining room.

Kitchen. Pool.

Dining Area. Kate and Gerardo will have more pictures on their blog shortly.

Holidazzle Parade

2010-12-19T08:03:00.001-08:00

This is the second year that I have gone to the Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis. This year was a lot colder than last year. We were only able to see the end because we stepped into a store for a couple of minutes to get warm. This is Liz and Marlene trying to stay warm.
The train from last year.
Here come Santa.
There Santa is on his sleigh and reindeer.

>Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Early Christmas and the Blizzard!

2010-12-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to have a Early Christmas. Is that some snow? It is always nice to have a White Christmas. A couple of weeks ago, I was hurrying to work and slid into a curb with the Aveo. Haste makes waste. I bent a wheel. I ordered a new wheel from e-bay and had my friend, Pete, help me put the tire on it. Government Motors Dealer $250, installation $40, E-bay$93 installation by friends, priceless. Then it was off to the Post Office for some stamps and to mail a Package. Is that snow falling I see in the background? The Christmas Tree all decorated with presents.
Then it was dinner time. We had Prime Rib, baked potatoes, and creamed spinach.There is "You Know Who" eating his dinner.
Let us dig in.

The Traditional Christmas photo.

The next day, I borrowed Gerardo's new snowblower to clear out my driveway.

The street in front of my house. Now that is some snow. It is all caused by Global Warming.

The "Little One's" Birthday

2010-12-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

What is better than a First Birthday party? You need hats and noise makers. You need a Birthday Cake. You need a Party Area with balloons and decorations. And you need the Birthday Boy.

I don't think that is his chair.

But that is his Birthday Cake.

" Come On Lets Party!!!"

Stuffing the cake into his mouth.

Thanksgiving Turkey

2010-11-26T10:38:00.001-08:00

This year I tried a "brine" turkey. I made the brining solution and put the turkey and solution out in the garage over night. Here is what the turkey looked like in the bucket.
Table all set waiting for the guests to arrive.

There we all are.

A year ago I had a similar picture of Kate.

Now it is a bit different.

"Where is my food!!!"

"Now that is better."

Water Softener Project

2010-11-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

Kate and Gerardo's Water Softener has been leaking for a while and I went over this weekend to see if I could fix it. Bummer.... in the process I broke it completely. Time for a new one. Here is the old one back in the corner.
Here is the new one. Is that a GE? Kate and the Little One checking us out. Removing the counter top to get room for the new one.

The old piping, of course it didn't fit the new Softener.

Starting to redo the piping.

New by-pass valve installed.

Here I am making some final adjustments.

All done. Now I have to reinstall the counter top. That is for another week.

The Twins Birthday

2010-11-15T17:28:00.001-08:00

Last Week I was off to California to see Fritz, Patricia, and The Twins. What a crew. Fritz and the Twins on their way to an audition for a modeling job.
The girl calculating her share.

Then it was off to Costco, we had hot dogs and drinks. The kids were very well behaved.

The girl playing with the insect Hand Puppets.

Their Birthday Party, a lot of babies and people. We had Pollo Campera, fried chicken with a Guatemalan recipe. I can't believe all these babies!

Is that a dog?

Freddie with a Hand Puppet.

The girl checking how much money she had.

I will take these two with me.

Halloween Adventures

2010-10-31T13:54:00.001-07:00

Kate and the "Little One" were over to celebrate Halloween this weekend. I dug out of the basement a couple of boxes of toys saved from Battle Creek. Here is one labeled , "Blocks" I wonder what is in it? The "Little One" and I putting together a shopping cart. Something to carry the "blocks" around in.

We had a nice dinner.

" Where's my dinner?"

Then the Trick-en-Treaters came.

Cat Woman.

I don't know these people.

Here are a real crew.

I don't know who he is either.

But this one I know. What a joy.

Orchard Visit.

2010-10-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Liz and I went for a drive and stopped at a local orchard.It is the first time I have been here. I had NO apples on my trees this year after a very pleasant harvest last year. We must have had a late frost this spring. They had plenty of pumpkins, but so did I. We walked around and enjoyed looking at the trees. I am always interested in how the trees are pruned. A Farmall H, I had one when I lived in Michigan.

I Broke my Lifter Mechanism.

2010-10-23T07:55:00.001-07:00

Recently, I blogged about an invention I made to jack up small cars. One commenter mentioned since Saturns were no longer made, I would not have a lot of use for it. Not so, it can be used for any small car. This week, I was using it to lift the Suzuki Sidekick and I broke it. Searching madly in my notes I discovered that I had designed it for a 2,000 pound load. The front of the Suzuki must weigh more than 2,000 pounds.

Maybe I should have designed for the jack capacity?

Re welding the angles.

You probably can see the arc in the top plate.

All back together. We will see how this works.

Fred's Birthday Party

2010-10-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Kate, Gerardo and the Little One came over for my Birthday Party. Here they are testing out the "Little One's" rocking chair. Liz had made the cushions for it. Someone sent me a "Beer Glass" birthday card. I said, "What a good idea."

Getting ready to sit down to dinner.

A short walk after dinner.

YiYu ready for opening the gifts.

Checking out a present.

The "Little One" Walking?

2010-10-16T11:35:00.001-07:00

Kate and Gerardo were over for my Birthday and the "Little One" was showing off. What an athlete!

More later.

Problem Week

2010-10-10T08:13:00.001-07:00

This has been a sorely trying week. I have had a series of problems around the house.It started off with a Broken Garage Door Spring! Old with the new. The last time this happened, I remember a new spring costing about $20, but this one was closer to $50. Installed and wound up.

Next up my computer broke.Not the first time. What do you think Gerardo?
"Kate, Don't touch that!"

Liz's Birthday Party. It was Liz's birthday this weekend and we went to a picnic with friends.

Liz's Birthday Cake.

Pumpkin Harvest and Watch'en the Pumpkin

2010-10-03T06:11:00.001-07:00

This year's Pumpkins and Acorn Squash.
I have had some rodent infestations in the garden since Kasin the Cat passed away. Here you can see some of the nibbling on the acorn squash.

Watching the Baby

This week I watched the Little One while Kate and Gerardo went to dinner. He liked the steps.
Kate brought along his walker, but he "of course" ignored it.

Weekend Travels, Interesting Sights.

2010-10-02T13:35:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, Liz, her brother Mike, and I went to a funeral in Rush City, Minnesota. I saw some interesting sights I thought I would share.

I have no idea what this is or what it represents but I thought it was pretty neat. Mike and I standing by it. I thought it was made out of metal but it turned out to be all made out of wood.

I then stopped to check out Paul Bunyan's record setting Walleye, not to be confused with the one from Mille Lacs Lake. Nice sized, I bet the fillets were good.

Liz and her brother Mike fooling around.

Saturn Jack Invention.

2010-09-26T16:11:00.001-07:00

Today I thought I would show one of my inventions. I work on small cars from time to time and there is no place to put the jack on most of them. So I made a frame to lift the whole front end of a car at one time. Showing how it fits on my floor jack.
Here I am sliding it under the car. Note: It is required to have the wheels up on a slight ramp or else you cannot work the handle on the jack!
In place under the motor support frame. I use a couple of 2X4's between the lifting frame and the car body to cushion the load. The car all jacked up!

Safety First. Preparing to weld up the lifting frame. Jack Adaptor.
Jack Adaptor with Top Plate
Welding the Top Plate to the Jack Adaptor.

Assembled Top Plate to Jack Adaptor. I then added a couple of pieces of Angle Iron to make it wider.

The "Little One" Walking?

2010-09-25T08:57:00.001-07:00

I thought I would post a movie of the "Little One" practicing his walk. As you can see we didn't get a "Pvc Chair" built in time so Kate had to go with a store bought unit.

He is getting bigger every day.

Here he is checking out the dog kennel.

Practicing his "Walk".

Road Trip!!!

2010-09-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

I took a road trip down to Cincinnati for work and stopped in to see Martha and John. I took Gerardo's Saturn (for the gas mileage) and proceeded to roll over 100 thousand miles. I recorded it for future generations to enjoy! Here it is at 99,999 miles.
One mile later it was in a new era.

On the way home I stopped in to visit Ed and Alicia. They are both well and doing OK. One of their new gardens. Rib Eye steaks and grilled vegetables.

One of Kathleen's orchids.

Very beautiful.

Here is Alicia.

Ed relaxing.

Baby Sitting Update

2010-09-06T07:13:00.001-07:00

This past week, Liz and I watched the little one while Kate went to some meetings. He is trying very hard to walk. Any day now he will be running around the house. Here he is in his stroller.
All bundled up ready to go.

He hates socks.

Here he is trying to dance. Liz is encouraging him.

Liz was also watching her Grand Daughter.

She is getting ready to crawl.

Last Canoe Trip

2010-08-29T06:14:00.001-07:00

Now that the weather is turning cooler I have not been canoeing as much as earlier in the summer. (Actually these pictures are from my last trip out in August.) The last trip out we went to Eagle Lake and paddled around the lake.

Here are some white flowered water lilies.
Here are some Yellow Flower Water Lilies.
Some of the marshes along the shore.

Weekend Update

2010-08-08T07:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend I went out with the canoe twice. On Saturday Liz and I went around Peace Island just North of the cities and then Kate was going to use the canoe on Sunday but Gerardo was sick so Liz and I went out again on Sunday. I have been sore all week. It was very hot so I took a dip into the river.

In other news, it has been hot enough around here that I don't like to cook inside the house. (I hate to admit this, being partial to hot weather, but I have turned on my air conditioning.) On Wednesday, I made Homemade hamburgers and buns. Fire baked!!
Hamburgers and buns, with no heat in the kitchen. With sweet corn, garden cucumbers and garden tomatoes, what could be better?

Babysitting Update

2010-07-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the "Little One" playing with his toys. Playing with the bouncy chair.
Exploring around the furniture. Checking out the camera. Liz brought her Granddaughter over for a visit. She is a cutie. What a doll. Give us a smile!

Weekend Update

2010-07-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

This week's canoe trip took us to an abandoned river dredge. It was growing weeds on the side of the river. All heavy iron.
A very interesting cable driving system.

Then it was home to have a couple of rotisserie chickens.
Next weekend I may try doing four at once. Very good.

Weekend Update and Canoe Trip

2010-07-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

We has some strong thunderstorms this weekend. My neighbor's tree split. What a mess. All my tomatoes were blown over.

Some were broken off.

Here they are after I stood them back up and re staked them.

A baby pumpkin.

A baby Zucchini.

Liz and I went on a short canoe trip up the Mississippi River. It is the first time in a long time since I have been in a canoe and Liz claimed it was the first time for her to ever be in a canoe.

We stopped on a island in the river to explore.

We saw an Eagle. Here is another picture.

Liz paddling away.

Here I am looking like a professional canoer.

Aunt Sylvia Going Home

2010-07-10T05:27:00.001-07:00

Kate and Aunt Sylvia at the airport. "The Little One" is going to miss her. This is a Coyote to keep the geese away. I don't know how good a job he does.

Here is a short movie of the "Little One". He was trying to crawl. It won't be long now. He is very cute.

Fritz Has Sharp Eyes!!!

2010-07-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

I am terribly embarrassed. The original picture I published but I got the baby names wrong.Here is Fritz, indeed with Frankie. Isn't she just precious? Here is Liz with her Grand Daughter, Roselle. This is Aunt Sylvia with, sure enough, Freddie.

And Kathryn with the "Little One."

Note: I have been requested by the "Little One's" Mother not to publish his name on the blog for security reasons. I would appreciate my commenter's to refrain also. Thank You, Fred

More on Fritz and Patricia's Visit.

2010-06-20T05:26:00.001-07:00

Fritz and Patricia were here for a week. I got to know the little ones. They are both very cute, and well behaved. Here I am with Frankie, getting her ready for taking some pictures. What a princess. This is a "babyfest" at Kate's house.

Frankie being held by Fritz,

Liz holding Roselle (Liz's granddaughter)

Kate holding Freddie,

Aunt Sylvia holding the "Little One"

Here is Gerardo holding the three grandchildren. What a crew.
Kate holding Freddie and Frankie. Preparing for the flight home. Not a lot of excitement there.

Visit by the Twins

2010-06-13T06:21:00.001-07:00

I have not been blogging very much. Be that as it may, I will try to to better in the future. Here are some pictures of Fritz and Patricia with the twins.Meeting them at the Airport. What a couple of cute kids!!! After five hours on an airplane no less!

Little Frankie, what a doll.

Freddie.

Gerardo and I holding them.

Dinner? Where is dinner?

Working on a Hot Rod

2010-05-30T08:24:00.001-07:00

My friend, Warren, came over to work on his Hot Rod.It looks pretty good in my garage. Better than that Suzuki anyway. I finally got my garage cleaned up. It has been a terrible mess all winter.Nick and Warren. A look inside the motor.
The valve lifter, looks OK from this side. Doesn't look good from this side. The bottom wore out and started leaking so the push rod would not go up and down.

Visit by the Little One and Fried Fish.

2010-05-23T15:25:00.001-07:00

What did your mother say? He is all dressed up for private school. Kate and the Little One.

Frying some fish. It was very good.

Mother's Day Adventures

2010-05-09T07:55:00.001-07:00

We had nice weather for Mother's Day. Kate, Gerardo, Pati (Gerardo's mother) and Gabby (his sister) went out to dinner and Liz and I watched the baby. Getting ready to leave. Everything was going fine until I suggested we take some pictures. Sure enough, as soon as I started to take his picture the little one became upset. But then again maybe it was because it was his nap time.We changed his diaper and wrapped him up like a papoose. In a few minutes he was making "sleepy" noises. He woke up a half hour later happy and playful. What a cutie.

Virus!!!

2010-05-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

I have had an issue with a virus the last couple of weeks. It is call XP Defender Pro and it pretends to be a virus protection program and won't let you use the Internet till you pay them $50. Gerardo helped me delete the program but it has taken me a while to get all the settings and damage corrected. (It still is not the same as it was, but it is now usable) CenturyLink, my service provider, was very helpful (made a couple of excellent suggestions) even though they do not do Software, only connectivity issues. In other news:

This week I went to Kate's house for dinner. Pati and Gabby, Gerardo's mother and sister, are visiting to see the Baby. Isn't he the cutest??? Taking a walk before dinner. Look at the size of that foot, it is size 9 already. We had a sea food dinner of mussels and crab legs.

A friend had an old freezer she wanted to throw away and Gerardo mentioned he was looking for a "Garage Refrigerator" so I hooked them up.

I used the truck to haul it to Kate and Gerardo's house.

The problem with using a freezer as a refrigerator is that the thermostat is in the wrong temperature range. But you can buy an external thermostat to convert. Since the freezer is designed to work at a lower temperature than a refrigerator, they are better insulated and more efficient.

Here is the "external" thermostat installed inside the freezer.
Already loaded up. How about a beer?

Hauling the Freight.

2010-04-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have started using the truck to haul things. As my readers well know, I used to have an Astro Van that I used to haul things. Looking out for my own best self interest (in the words of Adam Smith), I traded it in for Cash for Clunkers last fall. So now I am using Liz's Pickup Truck.Off to Recycle. (I may need to do something about tires soon.)
Hauling insulation for the garage.My friend Pete was doing some excavation at his church and gave me some dirt for back fill around my garage. A mini-backhoe.Pete supervising the work.
A quick stop at Home Depot for some insulating board.
You can see how high the garage sets above the ground. I need at least ten truck loads of dirt to back fill. (I calculate)Unloading the dirt at my house.Some bushes to plant.

Spring Is Finally Here.

2010-04-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

It is about time, that Spring has arrived. For whatever reason, this winter has been very hard for me. I have had difficulty in getting motivated and getting any of the jobs done around the house. (you probably noticed my lack of blogging) Everything was very hard. But now that the weather is warming up maybe I will get some of my jobs done. Visit by Gerardo, The Baby, Liz, and Kate. Making a chicken on the rotisserie. That does look good. Flowers in the front yard. My Trillium.

Fred!!!! Not ANOTHER car.

2010-04-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

I have gotten started on a new project. It has a hitch for a fifth wheel trailer. The problem is that I cannot carry drywall and boards with the hitch installed. The heads of the bolts broke right off.
It became a project but at the end of the day it was taken out. A minor hole in the bed, but at least flat enough to carry my stuff.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T06:07:00.001-07:00

Kate and Gerardo with the baby. BORN TO BUILD, A kid after my heart!!

We had ham and lobster.

Lobster cooking, bring water to a boil (lobsters defrosted), put in lobsters and bring back to boil for nine minutes.

Asparagus and Au gratin potatoes.

Getting ready to sit down.The little one watching us eat.

Gerardo's Birthday Party

2010-03-14T09:37:00.001-07:00

This weekend I hosted a Birthday Party for Gerardo.
I also watched the Little One for an hour while his parents went shopping. It was very exciting but I had no problems.
We had fried catfish. Breading the fish. Here I am with the Little One. Look at that hair. I am talking about my hair.

Frying the fish.

Testing out the high chair. The Little One is still too small but we thought we would test it out.

Now who do you think of when you see this?

Weekend Update

2010-03-06T11:22:00.001-08:00

This past week I went to St. Cloud to look at a couple of cars. It has been a few years since I have gotten anything new. Six speed manual transmission, leather interior.
Here is one in brown.
This was a nice one in maroon, but it had fairly high miles. I came close to putting some money down on this one.

Instead I went home and started working on the Suzuki.I removed the radiator and the air conditioning piping.Removing the crankshaft pulley so I can check the timing belt.