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August 14, 2020 – A day of celebration

August 14, 2020 /

My mood has been high this week. This is the end my friends, all I have left to do is hang the gutters today. I will make one final tour post and maybe include beginning and end photos. I also plan on totaling the cost to see where things are landed.

It has been a long time since I wrote about food. Maybe Mother’s Day? One thing to know about me is that I don’t like things to go to waste. I enjoy the creative challenge of working and repurposing leftovers into something better than the original. This morning I made salmon omelets with chimichurri on top.

First, the chimichurri. Everything is approximation measurements since I really didn’t measure anything.

  • Italian Parsley – 1 cup
  • Oregano (dried because I don’t have any growing and I couldn’t find it fresh) – 2 tablespoons
  • garlic – 3 cloves
  • red wind vinegar – 2 tablespoons
  • olive oil – 1/4 cup
  • red pepper flakes – dash
  • salt/pepper – dash

Pulse it gently in a food processor, it is not supposed to be puree, but a coarse chop. By the way, this probably would have been much better if I had done it last night versus right before I was going to use it.

The salmon was two two sources. One was some smoked salmon from last week’s beach trip and the other was leftover grilled salmon I made a while ago. I mixed it with about two tablespoons of sour cream. Three eggs (because that is what works best in my skillet) are mixed with a dash of salt and pepper.

And here is the final product.

One of the the things that I find with leftover seafood is that the work well in omelets. It mixes well with sour cream ore cream cheese as a filling. You can then jazz it up a bit with a more bright or acidic sauce on the top so you don’t overpower the more delicate flavor.

Last weekend I made a tomato compote that included allspice and thyme and cayenne over an an omelet with crab, shrimp and cream cheese filling. That was equally delicious.

So, with that I am going to finish my project and celebrate this weekend. My wife and I are taking a retreat Sunday through Tuesday which means that I will be back on Wednesday. Have a great weekend.

August 13, 2020 – ‘Tacticool’ Thursday

August 13, 2020 /

Late summer (around here) starts to turn my thoughts toward hunting season. If you have ever gone to the rifle range between now and mid-October, it is a mad house of people checking their rifles and getting ready for the shortly upcoming season. Fall bear season is already open, archery deer season as well as doves start in two weeks.

My range as well as many around the country offer a sight in service, as a fundraiser. This is where the general public can come to the range and pay $5-10 and get help sighting in their rifles. Today I am going to offer some insight to the vocabulary and service.

It all starts with a few basic terms, the first is the bullet. The bullet is the projectile that leaves the firearm with the intent to hit the target. Ideally, it would hit in the same place consistently. Bullets have a whole set of terms that go along with them but let us talk about two in particular.

  • Caliber – the diameter of the bullet, typically measured in inches or mm
  • Weight – the mass of the bullet. Mass is measured in a unit called grains. It takes 7000 grains to equal 1 pound.

For caliber, the heavier the bullet the longer it is. It is the only way to get the same diameter of projectile with more mass.

Barrels on rifles have a series of lands and grooves inside. The lands are the bearing surface of the barrel touching the bullet as it travels to exit. The pattern is spiral inside the barrel to cause the bullet to rotate and therefore stabilize the projectile.

The number of twists in a the rifling impacts the stability of different weight bullets. So each firearm has some optimum bullet weight for the best potential accuracy because the number of twists do not change.

  • Rate of Twist – The number of inches it takes to make one full revolution in a barrel and expressed in a proportion.

For an AR type rifle a 1:7 to a hunting style rifle 1:16. Let us decode a little bit further. 1:7 means one full revolution in seven inches. The faster the twist rate, the better heavier bullets will stabilize, but not necessarily the light ones. Hence, the rifle is optimize to shoot a close range bullet weights based on the twist rate.

Sticking with one caliber, 0.22in nominally AR type rifles typically have a 1:7, 1:8 or 1:9 twist rate. This is going to shoot a 55-65 grain bullet accurately. Using the 22LR, another 0.22in bullet, the twist rate is 1:16 for a Ruger 10-22. Those bullets are ranging from 30-40 grains typically.

We have already gone deep for the uninitiated and we have just touched the surface. What I am trying to get across is that once your rifle is setup and sighted in for a particular load, it is best to use that load for the season. People really in the weeds with ballistics would recommend sticking with the same manufacturing lot because you are likely going to have consistency of the components leading to the most accuracy.

I don’t worry so much about keeping the same lot, but I do understand the principles. Knowing your skillset, how your equipment performs and the territory that you plan on hunting should give you the controllable variables of the hunt. The rest is up to you.

August 12, 2020 – Empathy, still working on that one

August 12, 2020 /

It is interesting that my wife and I are on two different sides of this spectrum. You might say that she is so empathetic, it hurts and I am so non-empathetic, it hurts. Yesterday, we were leaving a burial of a family friend and we were talking about emotions. She was aching for the families’ pain and I don’t really know how to express it.

It was a Catholic service and in there tradition, a meal following the service almost always follows. We talked about our preference to work in the kitchen and serve rather than intermingle and socialize. Because both of our emotions are a bit paralytic in those circumstances on completely opposite sides of the spectrum.

There may be a principal at work here. If you start paying attention, then you start hearing things as they apply to you. It sure seems like these series of sermons are coming right at me. They are right to the weak parts of my being. I drew out the points in the sermon for quick reference below.

  • What do we do with other peoples pain
  • Don’t race past God’s pace
  • Driven in the vision

Certainly one and two speak directly to me and my circumstances. Maybe I am doing an OK job with number three. It seems like my writing might be part of my being sent (even if no one is reading 🙂 ). I suppose one of the solutions to building better empathy is more frequent and intense prayer; also not something I have been diligent about.

Having conversations with Ben, another part of being sent is hosting a small group. This experience has been way more therapeutic than I ever imagined. I guess that it just goes to show that a leap of faith and stretching your comfort zone can pay dividends. It has definitely made me dwell much more frequently on the word and looking at my actions through a different light, hopefully better. This has definitely been a year of new experiences in life. So, here are this week’s questions.

  • How do you grieve with those who grieve? Who is in your heart?
  • What might be holding you back from being sent by Jesus into the community?

August 11, 2020 – Free Installation… Today’s Customer Service?

August 11, 2020 /

I debated on whether to write about this or not, because it is not really what I am about. This forum is not about complaining or blasting. For that reason, I will not reveal the vendor, I am simply looking to inspire you the reader to take pride in ownership of what you do.

Yesterday, I was installing bathroom hardware and finishing the inside of the apartment. A vendor arrived to do installation, so I was working around him as to stay out of the way. I answered a few basic questions so that he could mount his hardware properly and safely. In about an hour, he was done. The last statement (to the tenant) was, ‘you need to notify the homeowner that the wire I installed is against a tree branch and that will eventually pull down the wire if the branch is not removed’.

Now, one would think that it is in the best interest of the installer and the vendor to cut the branch while you were up there installing the wire if there was a significant risk of damage. I suppose that I can see both sides of the argument, maybe this tree was a prize specimen and cutting it improperly would damage it irreparably. It is probably policy not to do such things. However, I was right there, we talked; we could have worked together if it was a problem.

But even more so in the face of decency was the mess that was left. A haphazard hole that was drilled through the wall and all the mess that went with it.

When I think of customer service, I think of proactively anticipating the wants and needs of the customer. I guess that I don’t believe anyone wants to immediately clean up after someone leaves the job site. The tree I can see as a potential gray area, but not the mess.

The problem is customer service is often the spear tip of every business transaction and interaction. Because they are typically entry level or low paying jobs, occupants are often not experienced or qualified to anticipate the needs, think food service. Additionally as sad, managers are usually equally not capable of training, observing and correcting behavior.

In my former line of work, a reasonable customer complaint would drive an assessment of policy and procedure to take corrective action. That might result in change of process or retraining. Typically, that would occur with the employee in private and re-enforced with the group in a general scenario. Too many of those type of re-occurring events attributed to a single individual might eventually lead to termination of employment.

It is unfortunate that this is the kind of result I expect with free installation. I remember one free car stereo installation that shorted out wiring in the dash and eventually led to the car burning down. Another free car stereo installation, I lost my lights for the heating system and broke my cup holder. Maybe a better way would be to pay a $10 retainer that goes to the installer once the job is completed satisfactorily rather than free?

Using the scenario to inspire people to be better, even without a complaint, take a critical look at what you routinely do assess whether it can be done better, faster or cleaner. Use empathy and put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If you don’t want to clean up the mess, do you think that they do?

In my experience, there are very few un-avoidable customer service mishaps. I am certainly not perfect, but I have no sympathy or time for excuses or stonewalling. Even the most difficult customers (and wrong) can bring some value to the process and make you better. So the best we can do is continuously self assess and take feedback and correct the service problems.

August 10, 2020 – Back again

August 10, 2020 /

It won’t be long now and I will be done with my remodeling project. I am hoping to have the construction work done this week. My punchlist is only outside now, I have 10 courses of siding, final caulk and touch up paint on the body, gutters and facia board to paint. The last major item that I probably wont get to this week is landscape grading (I need a place to move the dirt).

The camping trip is in the books and the tenants have moved in. I will have final pictures in one wrap up post maybe this week or maybe early next week. Camping got me some new content ideas and vigor to go along with it. That being said, as this project wraps up, summer will be sunsetting at the same time. It will be time for harvest and preparing for a new season.

In the heritage of our country and cultural history, moving beyond the harvest is traditionally a leaner and slower time where all the work of the growing season is behind us. We would live off of our stores, rest and prepare for doing it all over again next year. It is kind of how I am feeling about myself as well.

I had visions of filming ‘how-to’ tidbits daily and posting them on my remodeling project, but I got caught up in the daily volume of work that needed to be done along with the dragging deadlines. Hopefully, that will all change and I can get this going in a new and better direction. I am saying this to get past my toolbox fallacy.

So, I leave you with a view

August 4, 2020 – Progress Report

August 4, 2020 /

I will be signing off for another round of family time. I think that I will be back Friday, I would guess early afternoon. But with all of the stuff that will need to be done I suspect this is the last post of the week.

It pains me to put this aside when progress is rapidly happening. In addition, there is still a lot of punchlist items to do. There is nothing I can really do about it but be in the moment.

To summarize this weeks progress, floors are going in, the shower enclosure is up, the bathroom door is installed, new counter tops with a refurbished sink, all electrical is done, rough in plumbing is complete and waiting for fixtures and half of the remaining siding is up.

So what is left? Paint and install remaining siding, final exterior touch up, hang gutters, landscape grading, data wiring, finish the floors, paint and install all trim, install cabinets and fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen, add hot water heater, back splash in bathroom and kitchen. That is it you say? I know that it might seem like a daunting list, but each one of them is closing a phase with visible progress.

As much as I have enjoyed the process and the time, I am ready for completion. I have felt the pressure to finish since I started and now that we are six weeks past the planned finish date, this is the largest stressor for leaving for another three days. For the most part, my scope of work is complete – that is the exterior work. None of that prevents move in. But, I have taken up the torch to help wherever I can on the inside, because that will ultimately save money and time in the end.

August 3, 2020 – And now, the opposite opinion from Friday

August 3, 2020 /

If you have been watching the online church services I have been posting in recent weeks, then you will know that the last several have been following the story of the biblical character Ezra. I will let you do your own watching and reading if you chose, but to summarize quickly for the point.

Ezra was a leader of the Jewish people migrating from Babylon to Jerusalem. The book of the bible describes some of the trials and tribulations of the journey. My church organization is using this story as a building block to discuss the fundamentals of how churches are built.

So, you remember last week where I said that you have got to do something, even if it was wrong? Well if you watch this, then you will get some conflicting advice. Now, I did actually write what I meant which is that is only do something for unimportant decisions. And that is truly not in conflict with the message.

As I think about the ideas of submission and compromise, I believe that the objective to waiting for an answer is actually the act communicating in prayer. I have heard it said by people that are more diligent about faith that the more you take the time, the more it seems quicker and more frequent.

I think that we have all had the moments where we realize we are in a sticky situation and we promise to change to get out of the problem. A small number of people probably do, I suspect the vast number of people are reaching for hope at the moment and when that situation changes people go back to what they were doing.

This week’s questions and discussion are

  • How to you express confession to God?
  • What are you waiting for right now?

I find it extremely prophetic that what I wrote about on Friday comes back around to smack me in the face on Sunday. It seems pretty clear to me that I need to continue to wait and have faith that my situation will change into what it is supposed to be.

It is very difficult to contextualize the events of today when you are in the middle of it. Once the true picture is revealed, you are able to see what decisions are made and grow from the experiences. I suppose it is very much like science. Conclusions are only made after the data is gathered, analyzed and tested against the hypothesis. So when we are in the middle of a situation, we are only gathering the data.

July 31, 2020 – Got to do something, even if it is wrong

July 31, 2020 /

Remember back in high school English, one of the techniques to getting started writing was just to write something? I would say that it is much easier with a computer to just start going and then switch to something more on topic than when we used to have to write it out by hand. I never really did it much because it was so much more extra work, I would delay until I was ready.

Today is kind of one of those days. I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to write about. However, I have been thinking about a phrase that my grandfather used to use. When it came to sort of a guessing situation, he used to say “We have got to do something, even if it is wrong”. That was his country wisdom way of saying we will figure it out when we need, if it is that important.

Being the analytical type, I prefer to look at all the data and weigh decisions based on factors such as cost, difficulty, potential risk and upside. Many decisions are not worth such analysis or all those factors are roughly the same. So, that is where you pick a direction and go and change course later if needed.

It is interesting that life can be both ways. It is us that picks a method of handling it. Part of me envies the free spirited type because I think that likely ends in a more self-fulfilled destination. My type picks a direction and never looks back because changing direction is too difficult. Hopefully you picked the right one.

Doing something is what I have been doing for the last year. I have been hoping that the right thing would come along if I was busy doing something else. It is why I have thrown myself into intense projects and at times have ignored job searches and business development at the same time. I am avoiding the pain of stepping backward. This strategy hasn’t proven to fully work out.

As a Christian, I keep telling myself that there is a plan, I am waiting for it to be revealed. But I can’t help but wonder if I was busy painting or hammering and totally missed the signs. My wife says that her friends are flirty with me all the time, I don’t really see it.

Despite all of that, this is Friday and it shouldn’t be a downer. What I am trying to get across is don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t get paralyzed by indecision. I am so grateful to have spent quality time with my grandfather. All the skills he taught me and to think that I am still dwelling on his phrases, you can’t buy that.

I have been getting up early to let the dog out and it has been a great time to get the day started and get my computer work done. Here is a few pictures of my puppy one month later.

July 30, 2020 – ‘Tacticool’ Thursday

July 30, 2020 /

I am sure that people that read this topic are frequently disappointed that this weekly segment has been week on the ‘Mall Ninja’ or even the hardcore gear scale. That is not really my intent, I do want to get more into gear and gadgets when I have a little more time to plan. But, it illustrates a point that far more important than a whizzbang, zombie laser is skills and objectives. Surf around YouTube and you can find people that make art or musical instruments with a machete. You can find people that dig a pool out of the ground with sticks and materials found around the site.

It is likely the case that with thirty other tools, that instrument could look 100% better or maybe last twice as long. The point remains that 90% of the objective is knowledge and desire and the remaining ten percent is the rest. We tend to get stuck in the ten percent and lose track of what we can do versus what we are able to do.

Growing up pre-internet, I got interested in building furniture. At that time, the only real consistent and available information that I was aware of was the ‘New Yankee Workshop‘. It definitely taught one approach to woodworking but I noticed a theme. Being sponsored by Delta/Porter-Cable, some of the projects were built to showcase specific tools rather than the tools complimenting the work. Of course, knowing nothing I thought it was the only way something could be accomplished. That lead to some dubious purchases early on.

One Christmas, I received a book called ‘The Encyclopedia of Woodworking’. When I first started reading through the pages I was really out of sorts and shocked because Norm didn’t do anything like what was being presented. The majority of the book was working with hand tools, saws, planes and chisels in the traditional way. My eyes were open to the possibility that there could be more than one way to do something.

Stay with me people… not every post is home improvement or woodworking related, I painting the background first. Back to ‘Tacticool’. The reason to do any of these things, have gear, etc is to have something to protect or worth using the gear for. Why would you want to bother searching for holsters and belts and making sure that your shirt doesn’t ride up if nothing could ever happen. It is a lot of extra hassle.

If you don’t have a family or friends or a desire for a better future, then preparing and training and learning is all a Red Dawn type fantasy. So, my last week was the usual marathon of birthdays and family gatherings (more about that some other time). Added to that was grieving for the loss of my wife’s uncle and the funeral preparations. I unplugged to be there where I was needed most.

Protecting what is important in your life is rarely guarding it with menace and force. It is being attentive to the needs of your spouse, children, friends and extended family first. It is imperative that those relationships are nurtured otherwise you will end up wiping down your rifles and counting ammunition alone. I am encouraging a change in mindset to define what is important and what it takes to keep those things safe. We will get to gear and firearms soon.

I also have another camping trip scheduled for next week but one way or another, my future is going to change. I will finish this project I am working on. I will intensify my efforts to refine what I have started here as well as put out more effort on job search. I will also spend time building my relationships, sometimes at the exclusion of other things.

July 22, 2020 – Coping with discouragement from a Christian center

July 22, 2020 /

I am running a little behind this week. I chose to work on my project rather than watch this on Sunday, mostly because we were not going to have any small group attendees. So I watched the service this morning.

This was a message that I would recommend for anyone at any station. Not every one hits me and I can see myself on both sides of the argument. Before anyone thinks that I get too carried away, with ‘churchiness’ and religion I want to be clear that my voice is promoting my beliefs and values. Using the language… loving someone where they are at doesn’t always mean accepting every behavior.

If you have watched these services, you will know that they are a little formulaic. There are usually three bullet items that are the talking points to the message. Today’s talking points are the sources of discouragement.

  • Harrassment
  • Propaganda
  • Written Accusation

As someone that is experiencing a little discouragement at the moment, positive ideas are a welcome suggestion. I feel like I am stuck in a rut where I cannot move on until I finish this project that I am working on. On the other side, I cannot wait to finish my project to keep working toward looking for jobs and life’s other necessities.

I myself have a hard time of being in the moment. It is hard to enjoy the sunshine when you can see storm clouds in the distance. Sure, maybe the clouds will blow another direction, but it sure looks like they are coming this way. And the weather forecast is predicting the storm this way.

I am a very binary person. I have a hard time with obscure transition points. Maybe that is why I had a difficult time in calculus, for a peak the transition is easier, but for a gradual slope what is the transition? Deep down, I understand that this is the path that I need to walk in order to get to the destination. I also understand that in my beliefs that there is only so much you can do to influence the path.

My wife has an uncle that is dying. In many ways it is very sudden, in other’s not. He basically drank himself to death. He was OK to the point where about two months ago the doctors said that his liver was failing. Now, that is not to say that not managing diabetes for the last several years contributed. The amputation of several toes were warning signs of failing management. But there was always tomorrow to correct and change the situation.

I don’t think that there was enough time for the five stages of grief. Last I had heard, he was still in the depression phase. I tell this story because things can always be significantly worse. That family has some real discouragement, not my two bit issues.

My ideas for coping with discouragement are

  • Have time in the day to identify problems and propose potential solutions
  • Embrace the unknown to the best of your ability, see the first bullet point.
  • Have outlets for coping be it friends, journaling/blogging, exercise or physical exertion
  • Seek help from a qualified source if the problem is larger than you feel like you can address.

I get stuck in the embrace part frequently. For small groups, from the sermon, the questions of the week are

  • How have you faced opposition in your life?
  • What verse do you use to make it through the situation?