Sunday, September 27, 2009

SAFE HOME!

The Badjia is home!  Visiting RNs for a bit.  Her finger is sore, ribs moreso.  Went to store looking for DVDs to keep her occupied.  Really running out of ideas.

Anyone who can advise about romance-style period movies or mini-series that are recent?  She has all the old ones.  We are watching Cranford again.  No comedies-- laughter is painful.

Special thanks to all the friends who sent prayers, candle-lightings, and more.  We love you all very much.

posted by Ahmed J El Anjanar @ 3:37 PM, ,

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Badjia Watch 2009 Update

Not home til tomorrow most likely, the Badjia has consumed two apples, several bottles of juice, and a bowl of soup.

Very crabby.  A GOOD SIGN.

I am instructed to make clear that I am not the boss of her, but I am.

posted by Ahmed J El Anjanar @ 2:59 PM, ,

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Thank you!

Want to thank everyone who sent good wishes today.  The Badjia is doing well after a long day.  She woke long enough to check baseball scores.  We expect her home Saturday or Sunday.

Mark Springwell is good enough to take messages from ST folks.  Also, please accept apologies, we will not be taking phone calls a while.

Thanks again!

edit:  WELCOME PATRICK!  Congratulations to Gayle and Dami on their handsome new boy!

posted by Ahmed J El Anjanar @ 9:08 PM, ,

Sunday, September 20, 2009

The Learning Channel?

Last night I was up very late while I worked on a problem with some of my research.  In order to stay awake I clicked on the television and put it on TLC-- The Learning Channel.  I used to watch it more often.  What I found on this channel bothered me.

What on earth happened?

Long ago I would find biographies, documentaries, destination shows exploring interesting places I might like to travel.  What I found on the new TLC was reality television of the worst sort, and that is saying quite a bit.

The wife found this quite funny, since she watches TLC a lot.  She likes LA Ink, which might be interesting if it were less concerned with the bickering of its employees.  She enjoys Celebrity Rehab, also.

Last night The "Learning" channel featured a show about self centered women picking out over-priced wedding dresses, another show about pageants for children that can't possibly be legal, and advertisements for the couple with the octuplets who are getting divorced.

What has any of this to do with learning?

I still find some things on History and National Geographic worth watching.  Even the Travel Channel, though, now has ghost shows, which have nothing to do with traveling.  Ghosts can't even find the white light.  I'm not taking their travel tips.

Now Sci Fi, which at least had some decent entertainment, has begun to spell itself incorrectly so that it can show fat men on steroids wrestling. 

What I'd like to know is why I am paying for a thousand channels, all of which seem determined to show me reality programming with emotionally stunted adults behaving badly?  It feels a great deal like false advertising all around.

Labels: awful television, learning channel, sci fi, sy fy

posted by Ahmed J El Anjanar @ 7:09 AM, ,

Thursday, September 17, 2009

More Adventures in Smoking

We have had a smokey week.  I tried mushrooms, salmon, and beans, all of which I felt were a great success.  I currently have a brisket going, my first big item that will take a while.

I have discovered that it smells nothing like it tastes.  This is a good thing.

It also probably helped that Christine has had allergies and could not smell a thing all week.  We were away for a good bit of it, but I have not had any complaints about smoke stink.

Tomorrow we celebrate the fifth birthday of the most important member of the family, Max.  If you think I am pleased that he is "top dog," you're wrong.  I just know where I am in the pecking order.

Do you think pugs like smoked meat?

Labels: more smoking, sick women, spoiled dogs

posted by Ahmed J El Anjanar @ 7:29 PM, ,

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

SMOKIN!

Day two.  I have the smoker set up and am ready to use it this weekend.  I'm going to pick up salmon to make my own smoked salmon, and pork to slow-smoke.  I might even try brisket.

The swamp witch has decided I will kill myself eating tainted meat.

I had not intended to have all my blog posts pertain to meat or smoking meat when I resurrected my blog in this new location.  It must be fate.

Labels: meat smoking

posted by Ahmed J El Anjanar @ 4:59 PM, ,

Monday, September 7, 2009

First of all...

As this is my first post I will keep it short.  

It's Labor Day.  Why is it that we celebrate it by not only doing nothing laborious, but relaxing in an almost rabid fashion?  I don't mind, but please respect the crosswalks near the beach!

I will be attempting to build a smoker.  Christine has indicated that I am "not allowed."  She gets no salmon!

Labels: building a smoker, labor day

posted by Ahmed J El Anjanar @ 2:07 AM, ,