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dvd sale

it's cold, so i'm chickening out on walking home. also, i'm tired after yesterday's bout with tummy issues.

so, in our attempt to purge, i have some dvds for sale. anyone want to give me cold hard cash - or beer? i'm thinking $5 a piece.

Ronin
Fargo
Logan's Run (a classic)
ChickenRun
Planet of the Apes (new version)
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Mummy Returns
SpiderMan
Xmen 2
Gladiator
Shanghai Noon
Cold Mountain
Matrix Reloaded
Matrix
Shrek
Pearl Jam - Touring Band 2000
Pearl Jam - Live at the Garden
Being John Malkovich
Tombstone

email me.

update

we got warm last night around 6:30pm. my brother was correct and it was a small ceramic glow part for the ignition. i was able to replace it easily (with the power and gas off mind you) and the furnace clicked on without issue.

we kept it on for about 4hrs to warm things up.

in the end, it cost $20 without having to pay for the service. i guess i owe my brother a good bottle of scotch. the house got as cold as 51 deg. in the dining room where the thermostat is, but i am positive it was probably below 50 in the kitchen and back office as they are uninsulated. did i mention it's a 1890's house?

also, sausage making was a hit. eventhough we still ended up with our screaming lady during carolling - yes, someone screaming - "SHUT UP EVERYONE! WE'RE DOING 12 DAYS NOW - COUNT OF 2 BY 2." and it's 50 older adults in the crowd. you wonder why i'm so f'ed up sometime. she used to babysit me.

and yes, i did mix in my own flavor to the sausage, replacing the 10 year old pepper with fresh ground peppercorn. we also did a final batch, not for everyone elses consumption that was 2/3rd pork and 1/3 beef and instead of just salt, we used garlic salt with little pieces of roasted garlic in it. we added about 1 cup of ground onion and some red pepper to the mix also. that was split amonst the final three preparers. if anyone wants to try some, i have it in the freezer.

i got a new battery for my pedometer too.

and the holiday madness is here.

cold just plain cold

woke up this morning and thought - hey, the alarm clock woke me up, not the sound of the furnace. what the hell? well, i did some checking and the furnace was indeed on, but not working. it was 55 degrees in the dining room where the thermostat is. we were darn cold. well, i did some investigative work and then called the brother. he taught me everything i know about furnaces and he still works on them. i asked him if he knew what may be the issue and lo and behold, there is a diagnostic light on the furnace that tells me a $15 part is out. he can get it for me, but i have to wait and i have been waiting, in the cold, all day. he called a little bit ago and we're going to meet up in a few minutes to get the part and he'll tell me how to put it in.

cross your fingers or we may be knocking on your door tonight. never would have thought it - heat goes out on the coldest day of the year. did i flip off to many h2s and republican minivans over the weekend? i got a stomach ache to boot. want to hear some more whining? my pedometer bit the dust too.

argh

77c a gallon?

in 1988, when die hard came out, there was a scene with officer al where it showed regular gas @ 77c a gallon.

i love Die Hard!

Hugs and Kisses to you!

Sunday
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Hugz and Kiss by my graffiti friends - sent to you as a reader.

Worlds unite

Worlds unite
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Had lunch yesterday with my better half, LeLo in NoPo and Gravely Gay. Thanks for coming to town Rigo, enjoyed your company.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

The final result

The final result
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

We've made about 5 batches now. We're neer the end. Working on our special batch now.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

Action shot- making sausage!

Action shot- making sausage!
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Generation 2 kid with a generation 3 kid working the sausage press. We're on a roll. We've made 1 batch of bratwurst and 1 batch of polish. Up next is swedish with the potatos and onions.



Weeeeee



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

The casings

The casings
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Seriously, we push raw meat into these. One person has to clean then first and then we take them over to the sausage press.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

It is all clean now, but not for long

It is all clean now, but not for long
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

This is the sausage press we will be using in an hour or so to make the sausage. Back in the 70's, we used a big funnel, but somewhere along the line, we acquired the press from a great and and uncle on the german side of the family.



i'm gonna go get dirty!



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

i'm warning you now!

be careful tomorrow. i know of about 7o+ people of all ages and sizes who will be partying and making sausage in SE portland. yes, the point of the previous sentance was to shock you - SAUSAGE!

saturday is the 36th or so annual Sausage Making party at my family home. the core group of friends and family are always in attendance. such a wonderful group of people.

AND WE HAND MAKE SAUSAGE! can i be more blunt!

i'll be blogging from the scene of the crime tomorrow, so check back. i'll have photos of the 12lbs of raw pork and beef. i'll have photos of pushing said mixture through casings (cleaned pig intestines) to make sausage. i'll have photos of grown people acting out parts of the 12 days of Christmas...

i won't have pictures of anyone naked if that's what you into. sorry.

unless i have too much vodka or beer....................

also, go Linfield!

Our newest friends

Our newest friends
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

We had a blast last night with our newest friends Matt and Nancy. We did some neighborhood carousing and got to know each other well. I am so glad we did this. Let me tell you, the Crow Bar is a happening place at 1:30am.



thanks for a great night.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

Tofurky day

Turkey day
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

i love tofurky day. we have had so much fun at home. weeeeee

grrrr. my neighbors sometimes make me batty

scene: quiet sunday evening, sitting at home with the dogs, watching Snow Wonder on KOIN.

scene: loud dirt bike riding down the street doing laps of the block. grrrrr.

i let them go around twice before i grabbed the big flashlight and the cell to go out and ask them to stop.....well, just as i got outside, the guy was turning around in front of my house and i was able to flash him with the flashlight. i followed him down the street to the apartment complex and found him on his bike in his driveway. i confronted him about his bike and at first he snapped back, but when i threatened to call the police because of the illegal bike, he paused and said it wouldn't happen again.

10:45 at night.

i am still just so pissed off that i have to do this. i guess this is what i have to deal with to live in the city. one outweighs the other.

Roasted Fennel and Red Onion Salmon

IMG_6451
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

mmmmmmm mmmmmmmm good. this weekend was all about the kitchen. it started with some fun shopping at new seasons on saturday morning and a whole day chalk full of creating stuff for the holidays. i'm not going to reveal what we accomplished, as it is directly related to what you my friends may be getting as gifts. i had so much fun, we began to get creative today with our ingredients.

oh do i want to reveal it. it's sooooo coool. but you'll just have to wait.

this evening, i made this - Roasted Fennel bulbs with Red onion, grape tomatoes, roasted garlic and Salmon, all baked in the oven. yum yum yum. it turned out well.

looking forward to later this week when we venture back into tofurky land.

have a good week.

Walking Portland!

so, today was one of those days where i realized in the real world that our lives have changed. it started this morning when i found out my lovely wife had a full day and evening of activities planned. some of the after hours plans included me, so she was concerned about coordinating the car and such. i brushed it off and just said i would figure it out.
when evening came, she was already off to the second event of the day and wasn't planning on leaving. if you remember, we sold our other car last weekend, so i was on my own to figure out how to get to the doug fir. it's dark, it's cold etc. what to do.
well, this is where i had the realization. i knew i had to be there around 7pm. i also knew i wanted to go by lloyd center and pick up a scarf. and i had to prepare for request that may come my way for picking up food. all of this factored into my adventure. i knew i had to leave early enough in order to take care of all the tasks. i knew i had to give up on my tv time in order to get to the destination on time. i didn't have the option of hopping in the car and being there in 10 minutes.
i took MAX part of the way and then walked to lloyd to pick up a scarf. while there, i got the call to pick up some dinner. i walked over to burgerville on mlk and then down to the doug fir/jupiter hotel. and i did it without a car!
some people may not think this is a big deal, but what it showed me was that i could survive in this city on my feet and with preparation.
i love portland.

FuH2

FuH2
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Just thought i would get a different angle....



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

made in oregon

made in oregon bw
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

yes, i was made in oregon too. just ask my parents.

today was a strange day. beautiful and all, i just kept feeling like it was thursday instead of wednesday. wierd. but that's not all......

nanowrimo is wreaking havoc in my life. i should have 26000 words by today and i have 20,000. i know, 20,00 isn't bad, but i'm not keeping up with the joneses people.

we've done a brisk side business purging all of our crap. i sold the bmw on saturday and have proceeded to sell other miscelleneous items like our truck box, a window sill, a brake lamp etc. i want to sell the truck next, but am awaiting a replacement title before i could sellit. i have soo much more to sell, it's crazy. anyone want a good deal on an XBOX?
tonight's walk was excellent.

let me rephrase that - it was amazing!
i love walking the waterfront because it allows me to see both sides of the city. once accross the river, i can always look back to downtown. i wandered through the rose quarter where young men were shilling tickets for the blazers/chicago game. honestly, there were few takers.
when wandering between the rose garden and the colliseum, i could only think of where the PDC planned on putting the Saturday Market. such fools.
i walked up n. vancouver with little excitement until i passed the red cross building up by fremont. a young guy was walking towards me, away from n. fremont asking where n. fremont was. understandably, he was looking at the signs for the fremont bridge.
i pointed him in the right direction and we began walking toward n. fremont and the next question was - "where's mississippi?" i had to help the guy, so i just asked him to follow me.
we began talking and i discovered he was the bass player for Juliette and the Licks, a band playing tonight at the Wonder Ballroom. soooo exciting. he was heading to Mississippi Vinyl up off n. shaver, so we were heading in the same direction. we walked together down fremont and then mississippi and had a great conversation. Jason, the bass player was a nice guy and great conversationalist. i guided him to his destination and then headed home. needless to say, i was hoping he would offer backstage passes or guest list or something for me and A, but alas, no luck. oh well, i revel in the thought that i introduced him to a different kind of Portland and the next time he comes, maybe he'll chill in my neighborhood.
i was giddy the rest of the way home....

Night factory - Nov 14 walk

IMG_6429
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

i love walking at this time of the year. there isn't much light, so everything has a different color and patina. earlier in the evening, the bare bones of the christmas tree in pio square was up and with the background of the newly remodeled courthouse it was just stunning.
walking through the pearl, the best part was jamison square. it was dark, very dark, but there were still people out there walking about and there was just enough light to see shadows.
the moon was out - full people full! i looked up once and saw an amazing reflection against the us bank tower.
the image to the right is from the broadway bridge. i blogged earlier about that and tonight i wasn't dissapointed. i love seeing this plant at night because the lights outline the whole structure.
i enjoy walking lately because there is a direct correlation between my walking and how much energy i have. i feel better, i feel healthier, i sleep better. need to keep walking.
today - 12,600 steps. i had to take the short route home.

Farewell Blue

Farewell Blue
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

You served us well. At least i know a good coffee drinking soul will now be caring for you.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

Nov 8 walk

Nov 8
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

so, i thought i would get some work done on my teeth today, but alas, all i got was some rubber bands. it's kinda wierd knowing i have to now change my rubbers daily.....
so, my ortho is in ne pdx, so i decided to walk home from there. i wanted to walk up 15th or 7th to go through a neighborhood, but i also wanted to see what was becoming a new restaurant/bar on ne MLK by billy reeds. i chose to head over to MLK and up the street. it was around 5, so the traffic was busy and there were a ton of trucks. as i walked by Tinys, a coffee shop just north of broadway, there is a new business called Fetch. I can only imagine it's doggy friendly.
as i proceeded north, i came upon "the neighborhood dive" as it's called, or Tavern. i love it because it's unique. i looked and i looked for the new restaurant/bar accross from billy reeds, but there was no indication of a new place. i guess i'll have to check back later this month.
mlk is an interesting walk. one block, there are vibrant businesses that support the community and are patronized by the community. next block, it's abandoned buildings or just plain vacant lots. the further you go north, the more empty it becomes. up by fremont, there's a new construction project that has gone on longer than what is normal, implying that there either is challenges with occupancy or funding. the mid-k plaza's construction is going slower than my master bedroom project.
at the corner of mlk and fremont, they bulldozed a building 2 years ago and haven't done anything since. it's too bad, because further up the street, they are refurbing the old Weimer Building which is a great use of existing structures.
i went as far as failing and then turned west. failing is a great street to walk down, yet there were a few too many dealers just off mlk. further down failing, around williams is PIX which is my new favorite desert locale. i was hoping to see progress on the Lompoq bar, but alas, nothing appear. it was at this point that i began to realize the beautiful colors of the early sunny evening. with the sun going down, the light was changing before my eyes.
to the southeast, the quarter moon high in the sky. to the southwest, lower in the sky, there was a bright star apparant eventhough it wasn't yet dusk. i can only imagine the star is a planet or something. anyone have ideas?
finished the walk up mississippi and then met my love at the crow bar for cocktails. the rest of the evening has been a blast. more on that later....

monday walk ..... in the dark

it gets dark quickly these days. since my surgery, i've been lax at my walking home. i guess i just didn't have the energy after a day of work and a day of my body trying to knit bone together in my jaw. hmmm, strange huh?
well, i vowed to walk today as i am now getting closer and closer to healed and feel like i have the energy. i also got the winter clothes. yesterday, we went to foot traffic, a local portland store that focuses on walking and running gear and picked up some winter clothes. i have a top that is long sleeve and is made of some sort of material that keeps me warm, while removing moisture. further, if it gets wet on the outside, it warms up. lastly, it turns my sweat into pure gold.... I also picked up some pants. these are more athletic than i prefer, but i look good and they will work for the winter.
i ended up working later than i wanted to, so didn't get out of the building until 5:30 and it was dark then. it was also sooooo cold. i was worried when i started walking wether i would be warm enough. it was cold people - COLD! well, i ventured through downtown up to whole paycheck as i needed to get some ingredients for tonight's dinner. i then headed through the pearl to the broadway bridge, up interstate to n. mississippi and mississippi to skidmore and home.
it was a nice walk. the whole time i was singing some Arcade Fire song that was stuck in my head, so it was a good thing. i saw so many beautiful things. when walking accross the broadway bridge, there was enough light from the bridge that there were reflections off the willamette. there was also a smallish boat cruising along the river - that kinda scared me being dark and all. on the other side of the river, the grain silos and trains were alive with activity. it was then i wished i knew how to photograph in the dark.
the walk up interstate was uneventful. once i turned onto mississippi though, it warmed up a bit. i think it was because there wasn't a breeze or wind to cool the air as much. i also turned to look back at downtown and was greeted by a quarter moon, along with a beautiful skyline of lights and reflections. mississippi was fine until i approached n. fremont. just south of the fremont and mississippi intersection, a building has been tagged a bunch recently. as i walked by, i actually smelled paint. i then eyed a woman accross the street on a cell phone talking urgently to someone. i also saw two younger girls looking at her and walking away. i wondered if they had just tagged that building - at 6pm at night? if so, they deserve to get caught. you don't tag when there are people about!
my only incident with jackass drivers was a truck at the intersection of n. mississippi and skidmore. this truck slowed down, looked north (i was south) and began to roll through the stop light to turn right. I'm standing there in the brightest intersection in the neighborhood and yell at him. he looks at me, but doesn't stop. i almost punched the passenger side window just to make a point. argh....
once home, i made dinner. i told you about the ingredients. well, we had salmon with roasted fennel and red onions. truly a work of art. i have to give props to food and wine magazine as they provided the recipe and trader joes for such good quality fish. even without the ability to chew, i was able to enjoy this meal. it took me a little longer than normal to eat, but it also allowed me to fully taste every bite.
ciao bella.

ps: i have a diamond plate truck box for a full size truck i am going to list on craigslist. email me if you have a need for one.

Kilt

Kilt
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

I'm off to the first family event in my kilt. And i look good!



Josh, you better have that $10.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

Darn weather

Darn weather
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Well, i was a sad sack last night when i got home. Our 2yr old eucalyptis (sp) became a victim of the wind. The top half of the tree was snapped off. I haven't surveyed the damage fully, so i don't know if my recovering bamboo was affected or not. I do however think the tree is a loss.

My liquid diet got a boost on monday when i was allowed to begin eating soft foods. I've been using my toungue only to mush up pasta since then. the rule is- no chewing. Eating everything through a straw is taxing on the body. I've dropped around 15lbs and none of my clothes fit anymore. I guess thats a good thing.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

There she is.....miss .....

There she is.....miss .....
Originally uploaded by dieselboi.

Hmm, i guess we need to name her. Obviously its a her, how many people refer to their cars as a him? Yup, that's the new one. VW Jetta TDI. Diesel baby diesel. Don't tell anyone, but we're going the biodiesel route sometime soon. Fun to drive.

we're one of those families now that have more cars than people. It is a little embarrassing, knowing that we have 3 cars and a truck. And we don't have kids. That's all changing. We're turning in the passatt tomorrow and the BMW 2002 is currently for sale. The truck is a tough decision as we do so much work with the house and garden, i can't help thinking we need to keep it. Yet the city won't let me park it on the street eventhough it is registered, running and legal. Oh well, we'll mull that one over soon.



Sent from my phone, probably while hiding from the man.

new car and writing

gotcha. i'm keeping you all in limbo about the new car. yes we got one, but i'm not going to reveal it till tomorrow when i can moblog it.

i'm taking the leap today and joining the National Novel Writing Month challenge which means i need to write something every day for the rest of the month. they are asking for 50,000 words. as superinky put it, that's 1600+ words a day. wow, that's a challenge.

i'm taking the chuck palniuck approach. i listened to him read once and someone asked - how do you write? he responded that he writes short stories and then after awhile, he figures out he has a full book put together. that's how fight club and survivor and a few others came together. this way, he said, there isn't the pressure, wether internal or external, to come up with a huge project. it's all baby steps.

wish me luck. wish all the other nanowrimo writers well too.