four year old driver

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When I was four years old, my mom's good friend moved to Toledo. We went to visit them a few times. While mom and MJ visited, Nancy and I played in the station wagon. This was the station wagon Nancy and I thought was red. It was actualy black with a red interior. Nancy always played the mom and I always played the dad. It was fine with me, I got to drive. Back then, you could put a car in gear without the car being on. Without any keys. The car was parked in the driveway. The driveway was on a somewhat steep incline. The car began to move. Nancy jumped out of the back seat and cut her lip in the process. The car rolled down the drive way into the street. It rolled across the street into the embankment which formed the fork in the road. The car rolled up the embankment between a telephone pole and its guy wire. The car stopped. 

Mom and MJ ran out of the house to see the car stopped and me outside the car holding onto the door. I had the car stopped and was keeping it from rolling. Yes, I was four years old. My mom yelled at me to let go. I did and the car began to roll down the embankment, across the street and into a front yard of someone's house. The car stopped.

My mom got to the car and went to shut the back door. It wouldn't budge. It had been bent backwards when the car rolled through the telephone pole and the guy wire. My mom got into the car and moved it off the lawn. I remember seeing her replace a patch a grass with her foot. 

MJ protected me from my mom's wrath. My mom took the car to a service station to get the door fixed. They could only get the door partially closed. They tied it so it would not swing open. As my mom drove back to MJ's, school was getting out and kids were walking down the streets. They saw the car and would yell, "Hey Lady! Your back door is open!" This happened many times. 

When she got back to the house, she had calmed down some. She approached me and I said, "If I had the car keys I could have driven it better."

We drove back to Michigan than night. All three of us had to sit in the front seat so mom wouldn't worry about one of us falling out of the car.

This is one of those stories the family loves to tell over and over. I am not sure if the memory is really mom or one from the story mom told over and over. I read recently that memories can be false. The only images I have in my head are playing in the car, mom putting back the grass, and riding in the front seat on the way home. It was dark.

aha!

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I was going through my feed reader and read something that had me saying, d'oh! I was reading Patrick Rhone's blog where he was talking about his morning routine. He said that his wife poured the coffee but only a half cup for herself. She likes her coffee piping hot and cannot drink a full cup before it gets too cold. Then she gets another half cup of coffee when she is ready.

I do not drink coffee but tea. And I do like it hot. Not piping hot, but hot. I do not like tea at room temperature. Hot or iced, nothing in between. As the tea cools, I start to drink faster to avoid that tepidness. Then I feel bloated.

I have tried using an insulated cup but it keeps the tea too hot. Until now, I hadn't thought about making some tea and putting it into the thermos and pouring out a smaller amount to drink.

Sometimes the obvious solutions elude even me. 

the bonus was better than what I bought

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I first learned about Kickstarter from Gavin Castelton. He had a Kickstarter campaign to fun his album Won Over Frequency. I really liked his previous album, Home, so I thought I would back this project. It seems like a win-win situation. I give him money, and in a few months, he gives me an album. I was thrilled with the experience. From there I back LetterMpress. I wasn't very happy with this. I couldn't quite figure out how to make it work on my iPad. But I had only spent $10 so I wasn't upset.

I try to stick with projects where I got something back. I know people say that Kickstarter is not pre-order. There may be problems down the line. It is the risk one takes when backing the projects. But I look at these projects as pre-orders. I only back projects I would purchase if available today. Products that I want or need.

I saw the GoKey on Kickstarter. I thought it looked like a good idea in the event the boys ever needed to carry a house key. (I know they could carry one around their neck or in a pocket meant for shoes. But they don't don't always wear shoes with laces. In fact, Ryan never wears shoes with laces.) I liked that no one would know they had a key as the wrist band looks similar to others people wear. 

I decided to back the project and hopefully get 3 GoKeys. Months later, I got my GoKeys in the mail. I was a bit disappointed in them. I tried to fit a key inside and show Andy how to use it. The key was difficult to get inside the GoKey. Then it was even more difficult to fasten around Andy's wrist. I didn't even try to put it on myself using one hand as I couldn't do it easily with two. I set them aside thinking I would figure it out when the need arose. 

I noticed the bonus but didn't look at it twice. I just assumed it was a device cleaner. I went to open it and see if it was worth keeping and was confused by what it was. Buff? It felt silkier than anything I would use to clean my iPhone or iPad. It was also rather large, and tubular. What was this thing? There was a little piece of paper with the graphic images that fell when I opened it. I found it under my desk and looked at it. It is called a Buff and showed some images of people wearing this as a neck gaiter, a headband, a do-rag and more. Hmm... I have an idea.

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Lately, I have been trying to go more natural with my hair. It has some curl but I wanted more. One suggestion was to not use a towel to dry my hair but to use a t-short and “plop” it. I tried the t-short but I wasn't having much luck. I thought the Buff might work. Another suggestion for curler hair is to use silk pillow cases. I do not like the feel of silk when I sleep so I tried the top knot approach. I though the Buff would work better. 

I tried drying my hair first. I looked a bit goofy. OK, a lot goofy, but it worked. My hair seemed curlier the rest of the day. I slept with it and my hair was less tangled and more curly in the morning.

I went to see if I could get another one. One to use when this one is dirty or one that doesn't have the GoKey logo all over it. I found buffusa.com and videos to different ways to wear the Buff. I also found that they are not cheap. One Buff is $20. 

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No one saw me wear it on Friday. I wore it again on Saturday after my shower. Andy noticed but didn't say anything. Ryan asked why I was wearing a coon skinned cap. (After I stopped laughing, I explained it was not a coon skinned cap.) Dad looked at me funny and chuckled. 

It may look goofy but it works for me. And I doubt I would go out of the house unless I was wearing it as a headband. The GoKeys may have been disappointing, but the bonus Buff was a welcome surprise.

rum balls

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I received a new food processor. I have never had one and have never used one. It was a little intimidating so I thought my first recipe should be an easy one. Rum balls. My dad has been taking about these and wanting some. He got the bourbon. No, we never put rum in rum balls. He was a little concerned about the strength of the bourbon. He said he was looking for 80 proof but they only had 114 proof. I thought it would only make them better.

I got the vanilla wafers. In the past, we always used Nilla Wafers. But they now add HFCS and I try my best to avoid it. I got some organic cookies from Whole Foods. 

I crushed up the cookies using the food processor. This was much easier than putting the cookies in a ziploc baggie and using a rolling pin. I always get bored and the pieces end up too large.

I mixed everything up and added the corn syrup then the bourbon. I always start with the measured amount of alcohol but have to add more because the mixture is too dry. I thought it said 1 1/2 cups of alcohol and decided to just add two cups now. Oh my! This stuff was strong. I was getting a buzz just mixing the batter. 

Uh oh. This batter is too runny. I cannot even form a ball to roll. Oh crap. I add more cookies but it is still runny. I look online and suggestions were to add cocoa powder or powder sugar, basically any of the dry ingredients. Then I look and see my mistake. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of alcohol. I added 4 times the amount. Oh crap indeed! I put it in the fridge hoping things will thicken up.

The next morning the batter had thickened up but I knew the cookies would be too strong so I got more powdered sugar and cookies and ended up doubling the batch. There is a reason why the recipe calls for mixing the dry ingredients first. It was a pain in my arm and wrist to mix them extra ingredients into the batter.

I rolled the cookies and ended up with 8 dozen. I put some in a glass pyrex in the small refrigerator for dad. The rest went into a tin to be given to friends and neighbors. The cookies are strong but good. As they mellow, the no longer burn my mouth but give me that nice warm glow in my tummy.

roderick on the line and architecture

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John Roderick and Merlin Mann discuss architecture and other things on their podcast.

I wish I knew enough about urban planning and design to talk about this on a podcast. I think we could have a great discussion.

John mentioned Chicago Style but it should be Chicago School.

Here are some books that I have read or have meant to read.

Modern Architecture

Modern Architecture: A Critical History (Fourth Edition)  (World of Art)

Towards a New Architecture

I had better get reading so I am ready for our discussion when John calls.

here comes the sun

/ linnefaulk@gmail.com/

Back to Work with Merlin Mann & Dan Benjamin. Merlin was talking about light therapy and seasonal affective disorder. I had heard of SAD years ago but didn't really think much of it until I moved to Florida. When I lived in Michigan, I had a lot of headaches. When I moved to Florida, they went away. I still get headaches but not weekly or even monthly. And my mood is so much better. I credit this to the weather and the abundance of sunlight in Florida.

I recently read about the benefits to Vitamin D which is essentially sunshine. As a child, I spent a lot of time outdoors and seem to be happy. As adults, we spend most of our time indoors and in artificial light. Instead of spending $100 or more on a light that will mimic sunlight, I go outside most days to walk. I also take Vitamin D3 supplements. My energy has improved.

As much as Merlin & Dan complain about Florida, I am happy we moved here. Yes, there is still a lot to complain about, but the sun isn't one of them.

buy nothing day

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I am seeing posts about opposing Black Friday. I agree with them, mostly.

I don't go out on Black Friday. I can't stand the crowds. 

I know some people who start shopping at midnight on Thanksgiving Day. It is their "tradition." My mother's idea of family outing was going to the mall. But there are better ways to spend time together with  family.

And really, the ads are a come on to get you hyped up and in the stores.

If you have the day off, enjoy it with your family. There will be other times to find a good deal.