Journal – Blog – Whatever

lift weights during inhaler change-over, no bag

2008-05-13T22:45:10Z

New inhalers can cause confusion. I just started using inhalers last summer, so I'm not sure I ever had a CFC inhaler. But my last two definitely have an HFC propellant, and I noticed they had a softer spray. I also hadn't realized inhalers need cleaning -

HFA inhalers need to be washed with warm water and air dried once a week. The medication is stickier and will clog the hole, reducing the amount of medication the spray delivers.

This morning I washed my old inhaler that I thought was near-dead and just keeping "in case". Um, no, it's fine. Cool.

Skip the paper bag if you think you're hyperventilating and focus on slow, calm breaths. The paper bag won't hurt you if you really are hyperventilating - but if it's asthma or a heart attack, reducing oxygen is the last thing you need.

Building muscles has a utilitarian purpose??? They're not just decorative??? Who knew??? Yeah, I'm heavy on the sarcasm there. Truth is, size is not the point - strength is. It's from a special section on the human body.

stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-13T05:06:57Z

11:26 Article on text message spam - tinyurl.com/5da6hl

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jenk @ 2008-05-12T17:46:00

2008-05-13T00:47:07Z

Tried the Snickers "Adventure Bar". Disappointed to discover coconut flavor. The wrapper includes "Limited Edition" and picture of Indiana Jones aka Harrison Ford, but no mention of coconut. Probably no room for it.

takhisis' Sims are much more entertaining. I'm not sure if it's more surreal than listening to Heather Alexander and Alexander James Adams sing "The Holly & The Ivy" though...

This cartoon, however, is wonderfully accurate :)

for jw1776...

2008-05-12T22:22:08Z

...and other map fiends: check out strangemaps

Thanks dakiwiboid for linking to it.

How to Enjoy Your Job

2008-05-12T21:18:07Z

WikiHow chose to highlight "How to Enjoy Your Job" on a Monday. Discuss.

stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-12T05:09:04Z

17:19 So, okay, figured out how to do a trade run. Nifty. Only it's to an island that WON'T BUY the gems we wanted to sell. Oops.
19:09 Idleness is not doing nothing. Idleness is being free to do anything. - Floyd Dell

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-11T05:06:27Z

19:08 Just finished a quick after-breakfast pillage ... FIVE HOURS LATER? Ow.
19:08 Good QOTD today: Idealism is what precedes experience; cynicism is what follows. - David T. Wolf. (Not always, but often)
19:09 I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good. - Seneca.

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-10T05:07:03Z

19:01 History channel on counterfeiters say north korea govt is facility is faking us $100 bills. My.

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lasagna

2008-05-09T05:35:51Z

The pan I baked tonight turned out very well, so notes. Of course if you want to do a variant you can change / subtract as needed. This made 2 pans.
Sauce:

2 T olive oil
3 lbs hamburger (10% fat)
3 medium onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
10 cloves garlic, minced (thanks to jw1776 for chopping)
1-2 C white wine
Seasonings: Lots of basil, some chili powder, cilantro, oregano, garlic powder, pepper.
1.5 C sliced button mushrooms (I was lazy and bought a box of pre-sliced)
1 10oz can sliced black olives
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 12oz can tomato paste

Brown hamburger in olive oil in dutch oven (or other sturdy pot) over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, garlic, wine, and seasonings. Once the wine has cooked down and the onions are clear add the mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

(Note: This is a thick, meaty sauce so as to facilitate a thick, meaty lasagna. Personally I would not serve this as spaghetti sauce as-is - I'd add much more tomato sauce, paste, and/or puree first.)

Cheeses:

1 package of pre-shredded mozzarella (on sale)
1 package of pre-shredded mozzarella / parmesan mix (also on sale) (I mixed both of these together)
1 lb shredded colby jack (also on sale)
1 15oz tub whole-milk ricotta

Noodles:

1 box dried supermarket lasagna noodles. Specifically I used 24 (3 per layer x 4 layers x 2 pans) but that will vary depending on pan depth and layer depth. Not the no-boil kind (did that last time and the texture didn't work for me.) I boiled them about 8 minutes to rather al dente, 6 or 12 at a time, then drained and rinsed them in cold water.

Assembly:

Starting a new pan.
1. Grease a 9" x 13" pan with olive oil and a paper towel.
2. Add a 1/2 ladle (1/3-1/2 C) sauce to the bottom and shake pan to distribute.
The Routine:
1. Lay 3 noodles lengthwise in the pan. Don't worry if they don't fill the pan; the noodles will absorb more liquid later in the process and expand.
2. Spread a ladle of sauce (2/3-1 C) on top of the noodles. It's okay if the noodles aren't coated with sauce; we're mostly trying to distribute meat and veggies at this point, not liquid.
3. Evenly distribute 1/4 C or so (I confess I used clean hands) of ricotta.
4. Sprinkle 1/2 C or so (still using hands) of the colby jack on top the noodles.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 C or so (up, hands) of the mozzarella / parmesan mix.
6. (Optional) Do another sauce layer.
Depending on how deep your pan is and how thick you make your layers, you'll go through The Routine 3-5 times. End with a cheese layer.

Baking: If you are baking immediately, preheat your oven to 350F when you start assembly. Put it in for 20-30 minutes; you want the cheese to melt, sauce to become bubbly, flavors to fall in mad passionate love with each other, and the noodles to absorb whatever they're going to absorb.

If you are baking 1 and freezing 1, bake the first while you're assembling the one for the freezer.

If you are not baking immediately, let it cool to the touch. Wrap with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 6 months (well, I've gone a year, but it's rare). It's easiest if you thaw it before baking it (it will bake faster) but I have taken it straight from the freezer, put it into a 325F oven for a few hours, and had tasty lasagna as a result. Oh, and if it's frozen, it's best to leave the foil on it while baking - even after a few days in the fridge the center may still be frozen, and the foil will help keep the sides and top from drying out while the center is cooking. Take the foil off during the last 10 minutes or so; it's done when it's hot in the center (a butter knife is good for checking this) and bubbly.

stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-09T05:10:02Z

11:18 Testing NLs while listening to the varied noises of furnace duct cleaning. Kinda like hearing balls roll around under a pool table+vacuums.
13:01 Twitter's older button is missing from Recent tab, but still on Replies and Archive. Interesting.

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-08T05:07:07Z

16:43 Downloading yet another IE 6 VHD. Bonus: IE 8 beta VHD.
16:52 Fyi - IE VHDs - tinyurl.com/y64upm

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-07T05:10:27Z

13:59 Want: A good rain to clear the air. Get: Overcast skies & humidity.
19:57 Mapping out puzzle pirate moves with bowl, napkins, and usb key after dinner.

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-06T05:07:15Z

22:10 Car's odometer reading is a palindrome. This observation brought to you by skydancer.
11:12 Jesse made eggs & pancakes this morning. Mmmm. I am loved. <3 <3 <3
15:14 Watching a seaplane fly slllowwwly by on its way to land on Lake Washington.

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how free do you feel?

2008-05-05T03:13:34Z

Whenever I conduct workshops with any group, I ask people how free they feel and to rate themselves on a scale of 0 to 100. The responses are usually about the same whether I am talking to people in a correctional facility or at a workplace. I have learned firsthand that some people feel free while behind bars (and use their time in a positive way), yet others feel “locked up” while living in society.
[...]
[W]ouldn’t it be great if we didn’t define ourselves by our work? It should be just as valid to define ourselves by our leisure.
- Alison Link, quoted in The New York Times

I thought those were worth thinking about.

stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-04T05:04:41Z

14:30 Shoe shopping ... It sucks because it takes so long to find comfortable shoes.
15:07 1.5 hours, 3rd store.
16:12 Took a brief food break, now trying on at store 4.
16:57 On to store 5 - Nordy.
17:21 Getting a mocha at the dept store where i got my very first mocha.
17:56 Bellevue Square. It seems like a mob scene to me but we're told it's slow right now.
19:38 My haul - 1 pair black sandals, 1 pair green trainers, 1 silver tote bag. :)

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-03T05:08:17Z

11:48 Interesting read on how some corporate cultures thrive on fear - tinyurl.com/6p5cam
19:43 At crossroads waiting for iron man to start. :)
19:47 Remember when there were just ads for movies before the movies not cars?

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-05-01T05:07:31Z

17:45 Dumb stupid cirque is going to screw up traffic for a month??? Argh!!

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-04-30T05:08:54Z

13:38 1/2 an hour ago I put sunscreen on my arms because the sunlight was stinging in that "going to burn" fashion. Now? Hail. I am amused. :)
14:14 :: Wonders how quickly the GTA IV virus is spreading ::
14:16 .... that's "GTA IV virus" meaning "need to call in sick", not "need to update MacAfee" :)

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-04-29T05:13:56Z

17:10 At lenscrafters. I can haz un-scuffed lenses. :)
19:35 Is 7:45pm too early for those over 8 years old to go to bed?

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-04-27T05:05:14Z

16:32 You know it's a good Saturday when breakfast is at noon and lunch is at 3 ;)
19:31 Question: Do those with "locked" twitters get businesses following them too? (I assume they're adding me as an advertising measure)
21:00 Got Coulton's 'Baby Got Back' stuck in my head. 'I like big butts & I cannot lie...'

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-04-26T05:06:18Z

15:33 Did a Friday afternoon mocha run with Jen W. :)
16:06 "In all large corporations, there is a pervasive fear that someone, somewhere is having fun with a computer on company time." John C Dvorak
16:10 "Most of what others say or do is about them, not you." tinyurl.com/5qjgxe
16:10 "If you carry that to the next logical step, that also means that much of what you say about others if really about you.... hmmm... "
16:52 Small child arrived to pick up coworker. Orange Starbucks caffeine monster (tinyurl.com/6lp8d7) compelled to play peek-a-boo.
18:40 Bird convention at city hall campus. Loud too.

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Some links I liked...

2008-04-25T23:22:53Z

Saving money by simplifying...

Sometimes figuring out what really matters takes time.

"I want to think M&Ms are better than money, because you can eat them."

Thoughts on the Desiderata.

stir-fried semi-random

2008-04-25T05:07:48Z

11:54 It's Dine Out for Life day, so I'm off to lunch ;) www.diningoutforlife.com/
16:35 Reportedly (Reuters, not Onion) Kinshasa is freaking over theft of, er, "mojo" via witchcraft. tinyurl.com/6hky6u

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stir-fried semi-random

2008-04-24T05:18:47Z

13:00 New in-office-building cafe finally open. They are giving out free sandwiches and salads for lunch. w00t
13:44 Headache, headache, go away, come again some other day...
14:09 Coworker asked me to launch iTunes so she can get a Springsteen fix. Guess I'm an enabler ;)
21:38 I am really lucky to not only have a wonderful husband, but also friends who are available for hugs or games or dinner or what-have-you. :)

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enforcing boundaries, vampire slaying, call it what you will

2008-04-23T23:34:00Z

With thanks to mistress_gaelan:

Practical vampires are the people, places, institutions, beliefs, and situations we deal with every day that drain us of our time, our energy, and our good will. They are personal to us and defined not by what they do but rather by how we are affected by them. When we diagnose a vampire in our lives, it is by looking at our wounds, and not by looking at the vampire. [...]

Practical vampire slaying is founded on the spiritual principle that a vampire cannot enter into our lives to feed without first receiving our invitation to do so. Taking responsibility for what enters our lives and how we deal with it is how we reclaim our power to choose for ourselves what we want to do about our vampires.

Sometimes we choose to evict them by "revoking our invitations," and sometimes we don't. Sometimes we are ready to be rid of our vampires and other times we're not. It's all about having a choice. &emdash; The Practical Vampire Slayer

There's definitely some good stuff in comparing boundary-violators to vampires. At the same time, my work drains me of time, energy, and sometimes of good will - but I get money and satisfaction out of work. Overall I consider it a fair exchange. I also know that others would want to alter the bargain (less work, more money, different location, different sort of work, etc) and that is fine too.

For me, it's the lack of fair exchange that defines a problem. :)