Operation McNamee?

I'd like to welcome Major League Baseball to the club . . . now you have your own doping scandal. Too bad the rules are different. For one the media doesn't seem to immediately crucify those named in the Mitchell Report. In fact they are already talking about backlash in terms of libel suits that could be brought up against Mitchell and MLB.

It amused me watching some of the coverage on Sports Center and hearing former NFL players talking about how they have the best testing program in professional athletics. Also amusing . . . consider this one, Jose Canseco is to baseball as __________ is to cycling. Can anybody fill in the blank?

More important on this entire issue is that baseball is still boring even with juiced athletes! I think there were more "heroics" prior to the modern era of baseball. How many complete games get pitched these days? Does anybody really care?

Planning

This week seems to have been a big week for planning and preparation on the home projects front. I think I know what I am doing on the concrete countertop, I read the book, watched the video, piece of cake right? I still have to caulk the form, but I have decided on a slightly chamfered edge (look it up if you don't know) and that shouldn't be too hard when it comes to caulking.

I also laid out the lighting for the kitchen with a total of seven recessed cans, six in the main ceiling and one mini can over the sink in the stupid soffit that somebody decided was a good idea when installing the cabinets (stupid because it doesn't even match up to the upper edge of the cabinets and it is incomplete). By my calculations . . . there should be ample light, minimal shadow over the working areas . . . and if all else fails, I can add another can or even a decorative fixture where the fluorescent light was.

I am getting over my cold, seems like I get sick once a year right around this time. I'm sure there will be one more cold in my future, sometime around March 12th, approximately.

The birthday is coming up in another 13 days . . . Falcon here we come! On another note for you blog lurkers out there, email me, make yourself known, it's my birthday wish! According to the site meter there are some out of staters who have become regular readers through Kendall, Pinkerton, and Hutchison . . . who are you???

Say No to Catnip . . .

Sometimes you have to drink something no matter the source or the aftermath. I hope dog-water doesn't have ill effects. I guess toilet water doesn't seem to hurt cats, what can a little dog slobber possibly do?


I found Saffron this morning trying to knock the bag of catnip off the counter top for more rapid consumption. We did add some to the scratch lounge last night, must not have been enough for kitty's liking.

Mother Nature provided a fresh covering of snow this morning, it's still coming down in fact. I feel bad for Deb on her first day of work having to brave US36 in the elements. It's more the other asstards on the road . . . hopefully it isn't too painful getting there.

Work resumed on the countertop last night. I put the form together with some success and a touch of failure. I had one screw blow out the melamine, but only in the back corner in what will be a caulk joint so no biggie. The admix and water reducer showed up yesterday so with any luck, I'll be pouring concrete over the weekend.

Dead Batteries!

What a worthless time to have the battery in the camera die. Keely, Deb, Kendall, Pinkerton and I hit Super Star Asian for Dim Sum and then cruised down Broadway to Sport Bowl to bowl a few frames. Gotta love the crappy weather Sunday activities!

Dempsey was ready for the wintry mix outside. Nice booties!


Fool dog loves the snow and can't seem to focus on anything when there's a few inches of fresh powder to play in. He's mentally about two blocks down the street in this next shot.


And the aftermath:



Way too much food was eaten at Dim Sum, but we managed to avoid eating any sort of tentacles or chicken feet. The custard filled, steamed rolls were incredible as were the shrimp and leek dumplings. Yesterday marked the return of Asian Baby Elvis to the bowling ranks . . . could this be the start of a new traditions? Gluttony followed by bowling sin?

Our bowling performance and technique was for the most part an affront to bowling convention. We managed to scrape some respectable scores if you count anything over 50 as respectable. Pinkerton showed the most natural talent, I showed the most grace under pressure, pulling out the one pin victory by filling the tenth frame with three strikes in a row in the second game. Keely proved to be the most flap able, as we could all get her into a fit of laughter, making bowling immediately after an impossibility.

Sport Bowl on Broadway used to be somewhat of a dump. In it's new version The Falcon it caters to a much different crowd . . . us. There are now usable bathrooms, the PA system was playing some great music, and best of all it is no longer a 3.2 bar. There is a full bar, restaurant, live music venue, etc, etc. The only thing that didn't change were the lanes. Look for me there on December 26th for my birthday.

Web Pics

Gotta love it when you see these:


That means that it will be a fairly useless next few hours while I watch the Woot-Off for cheap items that I probably don't need. The real reason for the vigilance is the elusive Bag o' Crap (read this for more).

What does this web image mean?


That means the choice between "endurance ride" and "indoor 2A" has been made for me by those with powers greater than my own.

Round and Round

If there's one thing this pictures says it's gotta be . . .


. . . buy more wheels!!

So I did last night. I went over to Carlos' house to "look" at the set of Nimble Crosswinds he was selling, knowing full well that they would be in great condition. His garage is a cyclist's dream or nightmare depending on whether you look at it as a wish list or as expenses.



All that is left now is unloading the Zipp 606 wheelset that came with the new Felt. Then I get to purchase some tires, glue them up and the bikes will be race ready, will I?

Hangin' . . .

The art of hangin' . . . some are graceful at it, somethings look nice hanging. Dempsey and Saffron displayed a little of everything this weekend. Dempsey adjusting:


Saffron just getting the lay of the land in the new house:


We got another piece of the kitchen puzzle out of the way by hanging the pot rack. It enables us to tastefully display and store our rather complete selection of Calphalon cookware. Nice to see in selecting our cabinet color we matched it well to Calphalon grey.


The pets were nice enough to clean up their acts and make themselves a little cuter and a little more PG in their behavior. Dempsey, sacked out as usual:


Saffron took an immediate liking to the Scratch Lounge, but that could just be the catnip talking.


There is much more excitement in store this week. Deb moves to town on Wednesday, so long as she and my dad can make it across the plains without getting stuck in weather or without killing each other. For the house, we'll be putting more things away and in place. The basement is cleaning up nicely so we will be able to store the things that get used less regularly down there and be able to get to them when needed.

I templated the counter top for the butler pantry so hopefully early this week I will be able to make the form at work and if at all possible pour the top this weekend. All that leaves for the butler pantry is a little more paint and installing the new light fixture. After that, the room will be party-ready.

We also picked up supplies for changing the lighting in the kitchen. I am a touch nervous about cutting into the plaster for recessed cans, but the pot rack experience showed me that the plaster is in good shape and with all luck my ceiling won't crumble and fall down in large chunks. It is all coming along nicely though.