Thursday, January 26, 2012

Arachnophobia

So I had to deal with this thing when I got home...

Pure terror after the jump

Hippies

I was doing some reading on local Community Supported Agriculture farms nearby, and we seem to have a number of options. I think we're going to take a look into buying a share for next season, to maybe help improve our diets, learn to cook with new ingredients, and help support our local "Jersey Fresh" farmers.

Local Harvest

Based on the info from Local Harvest, it seems like we have a number of different options we can go with. Some are more fruit centered, others are more vegetable oriented, and there seems to be an organic farm to choose from as well. I like the idea of getting more fruit since it would be interesting to try making different kinds of preserves, but I think the more vegetable oriented one would be good for our culinary adventures, and also to get some use out of our new pressure canner. I'm agnostic on the whole "organic" fad, but we'll look into what the farm offers.

Essentially we'll be getting each week a box or basket of fresh produce that is set aside for the share holders. The weekly delivery is full of what ever seasonal fruits and vegetables they are harvesting that week. Many of the farms also have pick your own flower fields, so hopefully we'll have a houseful of flowers all summer to make use of the attic full of vases we've accumulated since our engagement.

Anyway it should be an interesting summer, I have heard positive feedback from a few people I have talked with that have done this in the past, or have family members that participate. I'll be sure to post and link to what farm we decide to buy a share from, and I plan to do more or less weekly updates featuring the contents of the baskets and what we decide to make with it.

Cultural Bubble

Apparently over the last 50 years or so our common culture in the United States. The US was a place without real social classes but that is changing, many people live in elite social bubbles away from the hoi polloi.

Luckily according to this quiz, I am not one of those people.




How Thick Is Your Bubble?

View user's Quiz School Profile
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Score » 13 out of 20 (65% )
Result
On a scale from 0 to 20 points, where 20 signifies full engagement with mainstream American culture and 0 signifies deep cultural isolation within the new upper class bubble, you scored between 13 and 16.

In other words, you don't even have a bubble.
Quiz SchoolTake this quiz & get your score

Monday, January 23, 2012

Robotic Dogs


Jackie and Patrick with their gender specific robo-dogs. I'm pretty sure these things are some kind of TSA spy project. They keep asking to be plugged in to a computer. "Plug me into the computer so I can read mommy's email" very strange... I'll have to keep my eye on that purple one. 

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Saturday Post

It seems that a few weeks have gone by without a new post to the blog, after a week long break between the holidays that was long overdue, things have been pretty busy on the work front. I just got back from a few days up at the Sub Base in Groton CT working as a commissioning agent for a new building on base. This is a newer role for me, i've assisted with commissioning activities a few times, recently closed out a project for a building at one of the NYC DEP's plants in Queens, and now this one. It went pretty well, but the contractor's weren't 100% ready, so I'll have to head back up for a day in a week or two to finish up.

Thursday was Rocky's first birthday, so Happy Birthday to him and his litter mates Remy, Bella, Beasley, Biscuit, Brody, Troy and Rosie.

Jacqueline of course is as cute as ever, and she'll have a new friend arriving in the summer, our friends Mike and Jess are expecting their second child. So Charlotte Rose will be a big sister, and Jackie will have a new playmate. Congratulations to the Gillespie family.

Our nephew Stephen Bruce is doing well, and we are hoping to see him next weekend assuming my work schedule goes according to plan. I'm hoping to work late Mon - Thursday, with the goal of being able to take Friday off... this all assumes that the school job in Paterson I am working on is completed on Schedule.

Here are some recent photos for your amusement. 


Tim and I enjoying a Mexican Wedding and food poisoning.

A fine Cuban cigar outside an ice cream shop in Veracruz.

Patrick going in for the kill at his 1st Birthday Party

Jackie enjoying the birthday festivities
Three cute friends. A precious moment seconds before crying/hair pulling.

Jackie meeting her cousin Stephen for the first time.

Who is this baby?

Introducing myself to my nephew.
The crusty old ware house that we are turning into a charter high school.

playing nice with cousin Dylan, he was happy to share his toys with Jackie.

The annual reading of "A Visit from St. Nicholas"  
Jackie was going to visit the Church of Intercession with Grandma and Grandpa to hear the annual reading of the poem during their annual Clement Clarke Moore festival, the oldest Christmas tradition in the city, but she had a cold...maybe next year.


Examining her loot.

Crank up the Christmas tunes!

Opening one of her new toys with Aunt Lauren... this pink elephant is now part of my living room decor, every day is a Dumbo style hallucination.

The annual photo of the cousins at the Great Grandparents house is Waldwick.

Enjoying the new block set from Grandma and Grandpa Trynosky

I love all my new toys but I love this box more.

Birthday Boy

Jackie helping Rocky organize his toys


Playing fetch

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

12 hours later... this made a fantastic pulled pork for the playoff game last weekend, and Grandpa's birthday.

New Years Tur-Duc-Hen...did not come out that well... we shall try again some other time.


Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all family. friends, and those who just stumble upon this blog looking for pictures of ultrasounds, milkyway cakes, and hot sauce recipes.

It's been a great year for our family, we've seen our daughter grow into a charming, inquisitive, mischievous little girl, welcomed a new nephew into our family, we welcomed a new puppy into our home, and we've had some great fun with family and friends.

We've really had a ball this year, from Jackie's birthday party, to watching her walk, earning my PE license, to watching Alison risk life and limb riding on a zip line across a waterfall in Mexico with our friend Lupita.

We have much to look forward to in the next year, the least of which is my planning of a 10th anniversary homecoming party for my USMMA class.

I've been blessed to have had some time off from work. The last week has been really splendid, I'm sure Alison can't wait to have me back at work. Today we had some fun playing around with a few of my Christmas gifts. We made applesauce using my new apple peeling device, and pressure canner.


faithful companion


left overs from the apple peeling/coring/slicing device

sauce!


Jackie helped in the only way she could... being adorable


Here I am!

Canned Sauce!

Happy new year to all!... I've been informed that next year will be the 10th anniversary of our typical new years extravaganza. This year was a bit subdued, hence my late night posting that can actually be read. So, the grandparents can fight over who gets the grand kids, but all are invited next year to what will be a party that may not be forgotten for decades to come... or so I have been warned.

Here's to a great 2012!