Life - 4

After talking about it for a long time, we finally got new windows installed in the living room at Perry View Farm. The old ones were leaking, difficult to open, and had failed seals causing moisture build-up between the panes.

Vinyl new construction windows from Dove Windows (5000 series), these are double hung models that replace the crank-out windows we had before. The additional glass area due to the thinner sides and middle is the most noticeable difference, adding a lot more light and visibility to the room.

Our family has made ice cream using this recipe for many years. It produces an ice cream with a fluffy texture which is quite tasty and unique but does not freeze well (it tends to become rock hard in the freezer). We have always used a hand-crank White Mountain churn for it. It turns into a whole family activity with someone turning the crank (we make a game out of never letting it stop), a drain hole opener (it is critical that the drain hole stay open unless you are trying to make salty ice cream), and a runner to add ice and rock salt as well as retrieve supplies as needed.

Wegmans has come to Harrisburg at last.

I have enjoyed their Williamsport location on occasion, but it is a bit far for me to drive for regular shopping. This store appears somewhat larger than that location, mainly in the Market Cafe section. This section includes a Chinese by-the-pound buffet called the Wokery, prepared foods section with seafood, Italian, and traditional American foods, a sub shop, pizza shop, coffee shop, and a large indoor and outdoor seating area.

I have been trying various specialty coffee drinks lately, after years of sticking with plain brewed black coffee. Being into the hot part of summer, my primary focus has been trying iced coffee drinks. Although I enjoy some of the sweeter versions like Frappuccinos occasionally, I find them far too sweet to drink regularly.

Visiting a Dunkin Donuts on the way home late one dark and stormy night, to partake of their invariably healthy pastries, I noticed their iced coffee selections. I have found Dunkin Donut's version of black iced coffee fits my desire for a sugar free caffeinated drink quite nicely. They advertise it as double brewed, and it is indeed quite strong, so don't order it black if you don't like the taste of coffee.

In my quest to avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), one of the items I most frequently consume has recently become loaded with it; jams and jellies. I consume these instead of butter or worse, colorized processed vegetable oil (also known as margarine) whenever possible. I have found quite a few delicious alternative jellies with no high fructose corn syrup (and more actual fruit), but not grape.

Ironically while eating at McDonald's this morning I noticed their grape jelly has no HFCS. A small comfort perhaps compared to the other pernicious items I am consuming on my occasional lapses when visiting that facility, but at least it is something.

Quotes have been displayed on my Google home page for a few months, but today one was shown which really caught my attention.

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
    - Jack London

Perhaps it was not what the author intended, but it made me consider the past few years. I have seen, heard, and even manufactured many great ideas; most of which have gone nowhere due to a lack of time and/or effort to pursue their completion. This quote is a good reminder and motivator to push harder.

While taking photographs for the Capitol Centennial Celebration, I noticed on a float in the parade, then on display in front of the Capitol Building a few days later, a Duryea automobile. The Duryea automobile was the first ever commercially manufactured, and it is not widely known that these first combustion powered wagon things were manufactured in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Apparently they had trouble getting investments due to low demand and difficulty convincing investors the crazy idea had a future.

Upon visiting a friend's house and purchasing a few Playstation 2 games, my interest in gaming is back for a while. One advantage of my on-again off-again gaming binges includes the low prices the games usually are by the time I get back into gaming. Browsing the $19.99 racks, I found Destroy All Humans, a game I had been interested in when I saw it in gaming magazines a year or so ago. This game is every bit as fun as the previews indicated.

Who wouldn't enjoy running around and shocking people with your electric shock gun, sucking their brains out, and then taking off in your flying saucer and using your death ray to level a few cities? You even have psychokinetic powers that allow picking up people, cars, and even tanks and flinging them up and away to come crashing down. The game is very good at adding a comic flair to these absurd but fun activities, with a setting in the 1950s and an outrageous script.

One of my favorite sites to get music VGMix, has been down for a while now while they rewrite the site.  I found a new site for my gaming music fix, OverClocked Remix.  They have some incredible music there.  I highly recommend the Chrono Symphonic, it is definitely a contender for the best music I've ever heard anywhere.  No doubt I'm rather biased since Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite games, but I am convinced you will love it if you are a fan of this style of music.  I recommend the torrent, which definitely seems to be the easiest way to get it.

At 9:05 p.m. May 8, 2006 Aidan Robert Pincin was born at Harrisburg Hospital to Jason and Georgette Pincin.  He weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 22 inches long.

His initials being ARP, there's apparently already some debate about which variant of the protocol he most closely matches.  Fortunately both parents are able to provide mediation to prevent packet conflicts, and handle the frequent requests.

Behold, the last orange drink from our local vending machine.  I have been consuming considerable quantities of this product over the past few months ever since it first appeared in our drink machine.  Sick of carbonated beverages, this tasty drink has satisfied me well.  Alas, the orange drink slot in our machine is now filled with Orange Tea, which slid into place with my purchase of this beverage.

Rose Knuth, one of my closest friend's mom passed away Sunday, April 23.  I'll miss her cheerful smile and her jestful jibes about being a troublemaker.  Growing up, it was always a pleasure to visit, as whenever I stayed long enough I frequently got a chance to sample some of her excellent cooking.  Perhaps it wasn't gourmet cuisine, but for one like me who was raised on the basics with little variety, it was a treat to sample her creations while dodging falling walnuts on the deck under the trees.

I have had it rather easy so far in life in that not many people well known to me have passed from among us.  I was shocked to learn mid last month that Zeynep Barnes was suddenly no longer with us.  I knew her as Chuck's fiance, and had taken a road trip with them to Jake's wedding.

This picture shows the two of them as I remember, enjoying life and their time together.  Visit the Zeynep Barnes Memorial Website for more pictures and information about Zeynep's life.

To the surprise of no one there has been yet another truck flip at the Clark's Ferry deathtrap.

I got a chance to taste the results of this recipe tonight, and I can vouch that when properly made, this is a great way to make a tasty snack using bags of inexpensive pretzels.  Now I don't have to just sit there and listen to Cliff consuming these tasty things over the microphone while playing World of Warcraft.