Your Garage Could Look Like This

When's the last time you thought about your garage door?

Ours is metal, has raised panels, and is painted the same color as the house. It doesn't have windows or any type of decorative features. Serviceable, but boring.  What if this is what you saw when you pulled into your driveway?

No, it's not a fancy car that will make your neighbors wonder if you've won the lottery or you're going through a mid-life crisis.  It's a 3-D vinyl cover for your garage door from a German company called style-your-garage.com.   They have dozens of styles or their website; you can choose from vehicles (including classic cars), aircraft, landscapes, animals, rooms, gates, and holiday versions. 

Realistically, I don't think I'll be getting one of these any time soon.  Unless they make one that shows a perfectly clean garage interior.  Then I could look at it when I rounded the corner instead of the cluttered mess that's really my garage.

Five years ago today: Hard Copy

Errands And Evaluations

It's been almost a month since I stopped working for a paycheck. That doesn't mean I've been sitting around the house doing nothing, though.  Today was a good example.  I was scheduled to evaluate three places--two different branches of a women's clothes store, and then a quick-service restaurant franchise.  Shortly before 10:00 I left the house to drive east to the first stop, which was inside a mall.

When I got to the mall they had part of the parking lot blocked off because of a water main break, but I managed to find an alternate entrance and wind my way up to the second floor where the store was.  It took me 19 minutes and 32 seconds (it's very important to be detail oriented) to try on some clothes and see how well the salespeople measure up to the Corporate standards.  When I was done I wound my way back to the car and continued to the east.

The second store is outside in a plaza setting.  It doesn't have a parking lot, so I had to drive around the block once looking for a parking space.  Fortunately, right after I turned back onto the street there was a spot right in front of the store.  After feeding the meter I went inside and repeated the evaluation process.  I'm happy to report both stores did well.

Instead of going directly to the next stop I decided to make a slight detour, and went exactly one and one-half miles out of my way to shop at the Habitat for Humanity store.  I was looking for a nice piece of wood or decorative molding for an upcoming project. After digging through random pieces of millwork, I hit the jackpot!  I found a section of 4" wide base molding for only $2.  It would have cost ten times more than that at the hardware store.

After wedging the piece of wood into my car I retraced my steps, then kept going until I got to the restaurant.  It was located on the fringes of an urban area, and once again I had to pay to park.  At this stop I got to order lunch (for which I would be reimbursed) and check to make sure the staff jumped through all the hoops they were supposed to.  For the most part they did.

Belly full, I headed towards home, making stops at the bank, grocery, and drug store.  By time I got home today's To-Do list had been completed.  All I had to do is write a report on each store.  And start on tomorrow's To-Do list.

Five years ago today: You Never Know Where You're Going To Learn Something New

Change In The Weather

What a difference a day makes!

Yesterday it was warm and sunny.  Hubby Tony took a vacation day, and we took advantage of the nice weather to picnic and walk through the collection at Laumeier Sculpture Park. I started off wearing a jacket, but soon ditched that and was comfortable with just a lightweight long sleeved shirt.

Today is completely different.  Like much of the country we had a cold snap come through overnight. This afternoon when I left the house I was wearing my heavy winter coat and could have used a hat to protect my ears from the brisk wind.

Five years ago today: For Those Who Served

Signs Of The Season

Butternut squash ready to cook and pomegranate seeds ready to eat.

A stack of flannel sheets to go on the beds.

Yellow leaves on the maple tree in the back yard.

Jackson the Cat curled up in one of this favorite places next to the front door (where he has a good view of everything going on and can enjoy the heat coming up from the vent right underneath the table)

Five years ago today: Disappearing Act

The Finished Product

I can't believe I haven't show you pictures of our finished master bathroom!  Thanks for your patience.

Of course you've read about the room's shower, bathtub, and accessories.  When it came time to take of photo the complete room, though, it was hard to get a decent shot without glare from the windows (or reflections from the lights).  I tried on multiple days, but in the end I decided to go with the best of what I had.

Here's a view from the doorway.  Shower and toilet on the left, tub straight ahead, and vanity on the right. Still looking for a few more accessories, but they'll come when they come.

A better view of the sink side, showing the mirrors and light fixtures (and cat bowls).  The vanity is higher than the old one, and has way more storage.  The vanity is made from cultured marble with integrated sinks, but the contrasting color of the bowls makes them look like they're separate.  One of the two old sinks was cracked; we were told that was caused by hot water usage (i.e., what Hubby Tony does every morning when he shaves).   The new one should last for as long as we're in the house.

Five years ago today: It Can't Hurt

No Tracking Allowed

A couple of weeks ago I was doing a Google search for bathroom accessories. The next day I started getting sidebar ads for the items on my Facebook page, and Amazon sent me emails about soap dishes and waste cans. I thought that was really creepy!  I mentioned my annoyance to Son Donald, who told me he'd switched search engines and now used one called DuckDuckGo. He recommended I try it.

I'd never heard of Duck Duck Go before, but I did a little research. I found out it's been around since 2008.  Their tagline is The search engine that doesn't track you. According to the company's privacy policy, it doesn't collect or share personally identifiable information of its users.  I liked that idea, so I gave it a trial run and after a few days I made a permanent switch.

The only disadvantages to the new search engine I've found so far are minor. Duck Duck Go's images aren't as robust as Google's, and their maps aren't quite as easy to use.  Those two things are a small price to pay for freedom from tracking.

Five years ago today: Non-Corporate

Punnies

Some days you just need a little laugh...

• I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.

• When chemists die, they barium.

• Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

• I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.

• How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.

• I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

• This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.

• I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.

• I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

• They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.

• PMS jokes aren't funny; period.

• Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.

• We are going on a class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there's no pop quiz.

• I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.

• Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?

Five years ago today: Forecaster-In-Chief

All Choked Up

When I was a newlywed I was a very adventurous cook. I had subscriptions to Bon Appétit and Food & Wine magazines, and read them cover to cover.   I made quite a few of the fancy recipes--main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. 

Fast forward to today.   My recipe ingredients are simple and I don't bother spending a lot of time on elaborate preparations.   However, when I saw a nearby store had fresh artichokes on sale I couldn't resist.  For the first time in about 30 years we had whole steamed artichokes for dinner

I used the cooking directions from Better Homes and Gardens.  The steps:

• Wash
• Slice off the stem ends
• Remove outer leaves
• Remove the tops
• Trim leaf tips
• Boil or steam
• Eat!

While the artichokes were cooking I made a dipping sauce with butter, water, garlic, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.  When the artichokes were done I put each one on a plate along with the rest of the food, and set a large bowl in the middle of the table to hold the discarded leaves. 

There were three of us for dinner.  Hubby Tony and I showed Son Donald (who had never had an artichoke) how to break off one leaf at a time, dip it into the sauce, then draw the base of the leaf through his teeth to remove the tender portion.  After he got down to the base, he figured out how to scrape off the inedible prickly "choke" and expose the heart.

When we were done there was a large pile of discarded leaves in the bowl, and not much else.  I know I enjoyed mine, and I'm pretty sure everyone else did, too.

Five years ago today: Blowout

A Tale Of Two Routes

If you live in Missouri and someone says they're going to "the Lake", more than likely they're talking about Lake Of The Ozarks. The central Missouri lake was built in the 1920s to provide hydroelectric power, but over the years it has also become a popular tourist destination.  This weekend I attended a  meeting at a convention hotel in the area.

I've been going to these meetings for the past three years. Every other time I had someone to carpool with, but even though I put out several feelers, this time no one wanted to leave at the same time I did.  At first I was disappointed that I'd be making the three hour journey by myself, but I decided to make the best of it.  On my way there Friday I detoured a few miles out of the way to meet a friend for lunch, and on the way back today I treated myself to an adventure.

There are two ways to get to the Lake.  You can head west on Interstate 70 and then southwest on a state highway, or go southwest on Interstate 44 and wind your way over and up on state roads.  For some reason I've always taken the first route.  This morning I decided to change things up and go the other way.

I didn't have to consult with anyone else to see if that suited them;  I just headed the opposite way out of the hotel parking lot.  Even though I was unfamiliar with the turns I had to make, everything was clearly marked and I made it to the Interstate without any problems.  Unlike 70, which is flat and lined with farm fields (mainly corn and soybeans), 44 has a lot of tree-lined rolling hills and many of the fields are planted in grapes.

It was a great day to be on the road.  The sun was out and only an occasional puffy cloud floated across the sky. Along the way I channel surfed radio stations, changing every time a commercial or a song I didn't like came on.  I stopped for breaks and food when I wanted to and there was no one to second guess my decision.  The exits came and went until I entered St. Louis County and knew I was almost home.

Sadly, It's True

Today I was at a meeting at a hotel conference center.  When I walked outside during a break I heard "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas..." coming out of the speakers.

I couldn't get away from the area fast enough!

Five years ago today: A Celebration Of Those Who Have Gone Before Us