Catullus / Good Friday

Odi et amo. Quare id faciam fortasse requiris.

     Nescio, sed fieri sentio, et excrucior.

I hate and I love.

Perhaps you ask how so?

I don’t know,

but I feel it in agony.

***

This expresses my emotional state well.

Monopoly Haikus

Haikus made during
A monopoly game played
Yesterday. Great fun!

Yesterday, the Papa, Stephanie, Sarah, Esther, Emily, Elizabeth, Joshua, and Lydia played Monopoly.  One of them began to think that haikus would be a delightful idea.  A notebook was gotten.  A few haikus were written and then more were added.  These are the haikus, written by Sarah, Papa, Emily, Elizabeth, Stephanie, and Esther.

In Monopoly We race around the square board finding little land. A squeek and a squak As people land and dice rolls-- Is it a happy landing? Out of water, huh. But I do not wish to leave, This game is too fast. Vermont Avenue Connecticut Avenue Oriental, too. A six dollars, please, She said so very loudly, Pass the money now! First rent, second rent, She is a happy camper So Stephanie says. Killing the banker-- They tried to put me away. How dare they do that! Plink! Hammer! Pound! Saw! The houses are going up In Park Place Boardwalk. Oui, how loud, ugh, oh On the Marvin I should be It's better than jail. Congratulations! You inherit one hundred. Good fortune is yours. ROCKY TOP! They sing How painful it is to me! Simply pay me the rent!! She certainly is as sane as the rest of us. It's assuring. Right? Welcome to Park Place. Instead of money, I'll take, If you can't, your land. Just fresh out of jail, Please let it be a bright ten-- Ah! Joy! Free Parking! Hotels on my land, Enough money to last a bit, Life in my favour. So many Haikus; They have covered two pages, Were made in this game. The game has gone on Some are gaining great power Some are fast fading. Sleepy, exhausted. Why am I not in my bed? Just Monotony. I would hate to go And miss the end of the game, But I require sleep. The ninja turtle On the napkin is standing While the game moves on. We laughed together. Friends, we are exhausted, now. Friends, we part tonight.

Dice rattles loudly People fill the air with noise The chatter more loud. Three? Really? She sighs. The number is not happy; I wish another. I just played my turn, Will I be back soon enough If I go right now? Boardwalk and Park Place-- These two make a lovely pair, If yourself owns them. Having her first rent A happy camper is she though small the rent is. This game is crazy. The Mahoney family is fun to play with. Popcorn on the stove Makes much more of a racket Than these trades and deals. Whenever we land On Rocky Top Tennessee, We must sing the song. Ya! This is so fun! I'm glad we play together This monopoly. Evil landowners Grasp at rents so greedily Occupy answers! Welcome! come right in! There is a breakfast for you, Thank you for your gold:) Ah, the temptation Good for me, not for others I will wait for now :( Let the waltz play on-- It is Strauss so beautiful-- As the game moves on. A lovely evening Of Strauss and Monopoly. How lovely the scene! Eating rainbows? What!? How can we eat innocents Barbariously? Interesting times When one chooses to divest of his property. Hotels, houses, lands moving, trading, swapping hands. It's Monopoly. I hope you will stay And have a most wonderful time this splendid day. Most frustrating thing Landing on free Parking when It's dry as a bone. It was very long, Even for monopoly Ah, well, maybe not.

My Hummus Recipe by Samuel Mahoney

 I have always been proud of my hummus. Even when i was a teenager. Then I deployed and the Chaldean guy i worked with always added this earthy pepper to it. I forget the name, but it is somewhat similar to paprika. Anyways, here is goes!

2 x 16ish oz cans garbonzos
4 Tbs tahini (1/4 cup)
4-5 Tbs lemon juice (1/4 cup +)
6 Tbs olive oil (3/8 cup)
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs cumin
1.5 Tbs paprika
2 tsp salt

Add to blender and blend thoroughly!

 Variations: I like to add parsley and chipotle pepper. The actual amounts of the garlic, cumin and paprika always change since i never really measure them. That is just a roundabout guess.

Next batch i plan on using cilantro instead of parsley and omit the paprika for more chipotle pepper. Reposted from Facebook

Black bean and Sweet Potato soup

Okay, several times when I have been at home, I have talked about this delicious soup. Well, here is the recipe in its original measurements. Be warned, it is portioned for one person. 

I tend to double it so as to have leftovers.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

Estimated time: 25 minutes

One serving

Author’s note: Hearty, yet bursting with the fresh flavors of lime and cilantro, this is the perfect late autumn soup. I like it cold in the summer – make it the night before when you’re cooking something else and eat it cold for lunch or dinner the next day.

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp cayenne powder

1/2 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced (1/4 medium)

1/3 c cooked black beans (drained, if canned)

2/3 c water or broth

1/2 lime, juiced

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Saute the onion in the oil until nearly translucent. Add the garlic and spices and sauté for about a minute. Add the black beans and sweet potatoes, along with enough water or broth to cover. When the sweet potatoes are well-cooked, add enough lime juice to taste and garnish with cilantro. 

                          Product Highlight:

Since I have been cooking for myself, I don't tend to keep bunches of herbs; however, Wal-mart has some awesome chopped cilantro in a tube that tastes pretty much like fresh. They also have garlic, ginger, basil, chili pepper and lemongrass.

I love this stuff! 

New Year:

Ephesians 2:10 We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.

Do you see yourself as God's work of art?

How do you see yourself living His good life this year?

Discussion anyone?

Industrial Maintenance Resources

I'm back from another hiring venture for engineering technicians. The field is called multi-craft maintenance. Another name is "mechatronics". It seems that finding people with the right broad skill sets is very hard. A lot of the promising candidates haven't refreshed their basics for many years. I mentioned to a few candidates some resources which they might want to have to brush up on their basic skills.

So, If you stumbled across this looking for hints, here are a few key trade resources:

• Audel Mechanical Trades Pocket Manual
• Ugly's Electrical References - the other Uglys books are good too.
• Rigging Pocket Guide

For PLCs and electronics there are a lot of online resources. Use your google-fu or drop me a line if you need hints for starting places.

Breaking News

So...  For the last several months things have been breaking down.   Cars, irons, microwaves, shoes....  Wearing out....

Our situation reminds me of the Israelites: for forty years in the desert their clothes and shoes didn't wear out.   That's how blessed we have been.  Maybe not forty years worth, but our 'stuff' has lasted well. 

Imagine how the Israelites felt upon entering the promised land when their stuff started wearing out normally.  "What kind of junk is this?  My last ox cart lasted over forty years and this one only ten!  They just don't make anything the way they used to..."

It feels a little like that.  Still, blessed be God from everlasting to everlasting!