Dave & Lucy Bought Their First Home!

 Congratulations to David & Lucy on the purchase of their first home!  They get the keys on Friday!

 They did a wonderful job selecting a place.  It is a great location - in their preferred school district, in the district of their preferred school within that district,  on a cul-de-sac so it is quiet for the kids, and close to freeways.

 It has a two-car garage...

 ...open space alongside...

 ...a very nice living room...

 David, Lucy, and Teo during the home inspection.

 The great kitchen...

 View out the window over the sink.

 Dining room...

 Teo is tired!  On the left is a glimpse of their Redfin realtor, Jim Johnston.  This man did a spectacular job - best realtor I've ever dealt with by far!  If you're buying or selling a home in north San Diego county, I highly recommend him.

 Let's look towards the entryway.

 Out the front door.  This place has THREE patios!  One off the front door and one off each bedroom.

 Walkway beside the garage.

 Bedroom 1.

The patio off bedroom 2.  It even has a view of the new hospital in the distance between the buildings.   Congratulations again Dave & Lucy.  I think you did an outstanding job finding a very nice place!

How Not To Starve: Chicken & Havarti Sandwich

Here is a quick meal even I can make when my wife is away!

Spread some light mayo on Oroweat Buttermilk bread,  add some Carving Board chicken breast and a slice of Havarti cheese.  If there is any tomato and bell pepper available, throw that on too!

Put the whole thing in the microwave for 20 seconds and BAM  a great tasting healthy meal!

You're welcome.

Roku 3: Thoughts After Six Months

Time for a six month update!  We ditched cable over six months ago for a Roku 3 box, and I thought I'd give a quick overview of how it has actually worked out for us.  First,  a quick overview of what Roku 3 does in this video I shot this morning:

My original post when we bought the Roku 3 is here.  As it turns out, we really didn't buy or continue to watch a majority of the shows I listed in that post.  We found so many new shows on HuluPlus, Netflix and Amazon that we quit watching a lot of what we watched on cable!

I was pretty sure I would like Roku, but was less sure about my wife.  It took her a few months to adapt, but she is now totally on board with Roku and is glad we gave up cable.  So - what do we watch on Roku?  Here are a few examples:


Finally,  if you'd like a good overview on how to set up Roku and what exactly is included when you buy a Roku 3 box, here is a video I found on the internet:

Enjoy!

How Not To Starve (while your wife is away) Episode 1: Pepperoni Quesadilla

 I'm not known to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  As a matter of fact, if getting nourishment is left up to me I will eat just enough to function.   My wife is aware of this, so when she travels she tries to leave me well stocked with simple food to make.

In addition, she's taught me how to make a few simple things because she knows that is all the effort I will expend to survive.  One of the things she has taught me is how to make is a quesadilla.  And I've added my own twist to it - turkey pepperoni.  Yeah, I manned it up a bit.

My wife is traveling a lot for work lately, so I've been fending for myself more than normal.  It has sharpened by quesadilla making skills, so I decided to make a video of the steps involved for the other bachelors out there who are on the verge of starvation.

I know, the video shows me putting the quesadilla on the fine paper china, while the photo above is on a plate.  Just to prove it is the same quesadilla, here is a snap of it on the paper plate before I moved it to the ceramic plate for photography purposes.  Two minutes after these photos, the quesadilla was history - just a memory in my tastebuds.   Enjoy!

Orange Crush

On Sunday while it was raining, we went to Target to buy something. Troy and Teo came with us and at the checkout stand, asked if they could have a 20 oz plastic bottle Orange Crush. We bought them each one, so they could drink them once we got back to our house. Exiting the store, we walked single file in the light rain with me up front, then Teo, then Troy and then my wife. Teo and Troy were each holding their bright orange Crushes like they were gold, one hand on the ...cap, one under the base, up against their chests. The bottle(s) took up almost their entire torso. A man walking towards us to enter Target took a look at our procession, smiled ear to ear, and slightly chuckled. The boys had their prizes close at hand. It was a classic moment that'll never happen again, and he fully appreciated that. Why oh why didn't I take a photo?

My Favorite Beverage Recipe

  Okay, here is something about me that only my immediate family knows.  Until now.

My favorite beverage at home is iced tea.   I rarely drink anything else at home (well, maybe some wine late in the evening)  and always make it myself.

I've made this tea for decades and the process never varies.  I thought I would finally document it somewhere, and that somewhere is here.

Step 1. Place five Lipton orange pekoe black tea bags in a round glass casserole dish with a glass lid.  Fill the dish about half to three-quarters full of water (maybe a quart of water?).

Step 2.  Place casserole dish in microwave and cook for 8 minutes.

Step 3.  Leave tea in casserole dish for 12-24 hours.

Step 4.  Pour tea into a one gallon pitcher (mine has a lid) and add water and 1.5 cups of sugar.

Step 5.  Stir well and either (a) serve immediately in a glass with ice cubes, or (b) refrigerate for future use.



That's it!  Pretty simple, but it has to be or I would never do it.  I'm not one who likes spending much time in the kitchen.  But I do love my tea.

Mazda RX-8 Review

GSV World Glimpses: Carlisle, UK

 A close relative of mine has a fairly unusual name, so I did a Google search to find out if anyone else on the planet had the same name.  Of course, the answer came back "yes"!  In Carlisle, United Kingdom.  I found quite a bit of info on the person and even the person's photo.  It did stir my curiosity about the town of Carlisle.  So I Google Street Viewed it a bit.  Here is Howard Place, a rather picturesque residential street not far from downtown.

 Another view of the same street.

I could easily see me living on this street.  Except for the lack of decent garage space, that is.

 On the major street, A7, going through Carlisle I cam across this interesting little Citroen.

 I love the windshield going waaay up into the roofline.  Why don't we have interesting features such as this here in the States?

 So I looked it up - it appears to be a Citroen C3 Euro Vision.  The Zenith panoramic windscreen (windshield to us yanks) is an option.  At least, it isn't shown on the base model.

 A fairly typical row of shops on the A7 in Carlisle.

 Not far from Howard Place is an alley I took a liking to.  The textures, angles, and age of the homes is appealing. I can just imagine and alley cat sauntering along rubbing his tail along the bricks while the "Stray Cat Strut" plays in the background.

This is turning the camera and looking up the alley in the other direction.  Interestingly,  the Google Street View car went up the alleyway and collected images along its entirety!  Must have looked appealing to them, too.

GSV World Glimpses: A Variety of Places

 Here are some random snaps I've captured while perusing Google Street View for various reasons.  I thought the layout of the Mustangs and the house were very picturesque.

 From the LA area.  I liked the way the Pomeranian appears to be holding his own leash.

 How would you like your only photo on Google Street View to be while you were waiting for the port-a-potty?

 Downtown San Diego - appears to be a line of job applicants.

 She is really decked out for this interview!

 NYC.  The Dodge truck is interesting.  Not sure why it is there or what it represents.

  But she found it interesting enough to photograph.

 A random midwestern back yard.  I thought it looked very relaxing with interestingly shaped chairs.

 Green!  Look at the placement of her hands - so formal!

 LA area.  Wonder what the inside of this house looks like!  I can tell you the front yard sure stands out on the street!  Even the palm tree is decorated!

Cute mama and child dachsunds.

Gas Cap