29th August 2015, 09:00 PM
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Hitting it with a hammer is a perfectly fine way of smushing garlic! Glad you're feeling better, loshan, I was getting a little worried about you. You seem much more chipper this evening, no doubt buoyed up by the properly colored supermoon!
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29th August 2015, 10:37 PM
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A crappy machine that "peels most of the cloves" is in the $3,000 range. For my little "boutique" (pretentious and uppity?) operation, hand smashing/peeling actually has marketing value and gives me something productive to do whilst wearing my pajamas all day. Winning!
On the other hand, if Jag and/or Wolf could engineer me a prototype, affordable for a small producer, garlic peeler that actually works? I'd use and market the shit outta that thing. Oh...and all the "smash it with two bowls and shake" or other awesome YouTube hints on peeling garlic are, at best, an exercise in futility for large amounts. This  , with garlic between you and the wall, would be more efficient.
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29th August 2015, 10:40 PM
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I don't look good in orange light. It reflects off my silver hair and does a number on my complexion. 
Last edited by loshan; 29th August 2015 at 10:43 PM. Reason: punctuation impaired. As usual. My job to irritate the English majors.
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29th August 2015, 11:48 PM
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I have this interesting flexible plastic (silicone?) tube that's about the size of a manicotti noodle--you put unpeeled cloves in there and roll it back and forth and it takes the paper off right nicely without bruising. I know there has to be some machine somewhere that does this because I've bought five pound bags of peeled cloves before. Man, did I make some roasted garlic paste with THAT!
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30th August 2015, 05:45 AM
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Good to hear about the rain!
Something weird has happened. I got 9 yellow-jacket bites last week. They were painful for 2 days and then I didn't think of them--they faded. Or I thought they did: last night, they flared up again--itching, slightly swollen. I'd say I just got stung again, but it's all 9 areas. WTH? Must look into this. Perhaps I'm developing an allergy? That would suck.
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30th August 2015, 06:05 AM
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Looks like it might be a variant of serum sickness.
Wonderful. 
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30th August 2015, 08:28 AM
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That's how I figured out this much! I'll watch it and maybe call my MD this week, if it doesn't settle down.
I just don't want a life with an epi-pen. 
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30th August 2015, 08:34 AM
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Rain! Glorious rain!
 It is a bit like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound at this point but at least it's a start. Rigs, I hope your stings get better soon. Yellow jacket stings seem to be cumulative for me. Every time I'm stung, the initial reaction gets worse and the aftereffects last longer. Smartie, I have one of those silicone tubes and it works great for small amounts and for softneck garlics in particular. The hardnecks have a tougher shell. I was thinking this morning that I might try using a cast iron skillet to crack them in larger quantities. Experimentation will commence later today. 
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30th August 2015, 08:34 AM
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sorry to hear it, Rigs.
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30th August 2015, 09:10 AM
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Hope the stings get better soon, rigs.
I have a pot roast going in the slow cooker. There's the roast that I seasoned with some rosemary, thyme, cracked black pepper and a little sea salt, onion, bay leaves, red wine, some stock and little broth. I also put in a packet of Beefy onion soup mix. I'll let that go for seven hours or so, and then add some baby red potatoes and carrots and let it go for another hour. It's already smelling good, partially because I sear the meat before I put it into the slow cooker. Plans for today call for doing laundry. I dunno, I may head to the mall in search of slacks and pumps too. It depends on how ambitious I feel.
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30th August 2015, 10:14 AM
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Hooray for rain, and my it long continue!
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30th August 2015, 01:04 PM
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Yes, sweet, lovely rain. So happy to see it again. At least until I have to commute to work tomorrow and avoid the dumb-asses who can't seem to drive in it.
My lawn is actually starting to green up again! 
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30th August 2015, 01:24 PM
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My little fruit trees look happy with their leaves all wet!
 I am definitely in the House of Sacred Sunday Sloth today--I was bizzybizzy all week and today it's intermittently rainy, I got about 95% of what I needed done accomplished this week (the other 5% is actually for my son to do because it takes more muscle than I can muster) and I see absolutely no reason not to be a total couch potato today. I'll definitely do something good for dinner--that pot roast sounds awesome but I don't have the necessary for that but I DO have a ribeye in the freezer and some good potatoes and a lot of garlic so steak and smashed potatoes are a definite possibility.  I slept in late, made coffee this morning (I've been forgoing using the stove in the mornings since it's been so damned hot so this is the first coffee I've made in weeks) and had some chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. Terri came bucketing up sideways this morning and insisted I torture her with the Red Dot, so I did. I have some shows and movies downloaded that I haven't had time to watch and my couch is enormously comfortable. Aaaaah, noice. 
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30th August 2015, 02:15 PM
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I'm spaced out on oral Benadryl and the bites are bigger and itchier. No other symptoms, though.
This sucks. Yay for rain! Sun popped out here a bit ago. Gonna go veg out on Netflix. Benadryl makes me useless.
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30th August 2015, 04:08 PM
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Back from Walgreen's (again) to get loratadine. I can't take more Benadryl, and loratadine doesn't make me drowsy. I may have to call my MD tomorrow, if the swelling doesn't go down. Pretty much misery on a plate over here...
Still making my way through The Andy Griffith Show. Does a body good.
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30th August 2015, 05:04 PM
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Man, I'm sorry your ankle is hurting, Rigs, that must be so unpleasant.
Sure hope this doesn't turn into a full scale allergy, because that would be a bad one for a gardener to have.Well, the steak was perfect and the smashed potatoes decided to turn themselves into crashed potatoes instead, with a ridiculous amount of garlic involved. I boiled up three big cloves off a Russian Giant (how much do I love it that my garlic hands have names?) in the water with the potatoes then fine chopped the remaining three cloves and scattered them all over the top with pepper, dill, fresh rosemary and smoked paprika then finished with sharp cheddar and quattro formaggia. Now I'm much too full but in a really happy way. Burp! 
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30th August 2015, 05:06 PM
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30th August 2015, 05:09 PM
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It was really good. Here's the original recipe, it can be tailored any way you like. If you do cheese on the top, cook the potatoes for twenty minutes, sprinkle the cheese on top then do the final five minutes.
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30th August 2015, 05:28 PM
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We were without power for 28 hours, beginning yesterday noon. It was surprisingly stressful
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30th August 2015, 05:53 PM
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No power gets to you more than you think it would, CJ. Glad it's back on.
I just spent almost two hours on the phone with a friend I hadn't talked to since high school. He was in town for a cruise. We weren't able to get together, but he called and we had a lovely time talking and catching up. He and his partner cruise often, so next time he's going to let me know ahead of time so we can hang out. I didn't like a lot of people from my high school, but he's one of the few I really got along with. It made for a lovely evening!
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30th August 2015, 05:56 PM
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Oh, it totally does! I actually broke out some stuff from my emergency kit! The phone chargers, and candles and some mashed potatoes. I think I need more comfort food in my kit.
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30th August 2015, 06:23 PM
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Well, Mrs Larsen and I are officially old farts so hand me the walker and the prune juice.
What did we do? We went to a Mexican restaurant and shared a Carne Asada platter. And couldn't finish it. (But I did leave a generous tip since our bill wasn't so large.)
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31st August 2015, 08:11 AM
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I am home from ER. Had IV antibiotics and steroids there, Rxs are being filled as I type. I'm for the couch and Netflix today, if I don't sleep through it all. Have to get my meds first.
Sucks, it does. Have steroid appetite now. Just inhaled cheese omelet/quesadilla.
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31st August 2015, 08:37 AM
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We have the physical therapist coming over this afternoon, but there is nothing else on the agenda for today. The larder is well stocked, and I have some laundry to keep me home. I'm such a homebody, which is good in a housekeeper.
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31st August 2015, 09:27 AM
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While I'm sorry you had to go to the ER, Rigs, I'm glad you got those bites taken care of. Sleep and eat well!
The girl didn't sleep well last night (possibly because she and hubby decided that marathoning most of Jericho season one was s good plan), and still has a bit of her cold, so she was rather barfy this morning. I had chicken noodle soup mix, the kind where they supply seasoning and noodles, and you supply chicken and broth, so I made that up for her. It's not quite homemade, but it's a step above store bought. She's worked quietly on the couch all morning, with a nice two-hour break, and is finishing today's school with Part One of Edith Hamilton's Myhology (it's literature AND world history AND Latin!). She can then rest and nap and read whatever she wants to.
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31st August 2015, 10:53 AM
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Saw on FB that my sis and BIL are certainly getting a crash course in survival in the PNW--the recent windstorm took out their electricity and water (because the well pump needs the electrics) so they're camping in their giant fancy house and flushing the terlets with a Home Despot bucket full of water. They have a little portable gennie keeping the fridge running and are appreciating their liberal stock of tequila. The big gennie is being installed this week.
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31st August 2015, 01:03 PM
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31st August 2015, 02:25 PM
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Feel better soon Rigs!
I have determined that our emergency kit needs more cash, more comfort food, and more distractions/toys for the kid. Other than that, it served us well. It's a dreary yucky day out today. Summer is over, I'm cold, and none of my long sleeve shirts fit.
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31st August 2015, 03:54 PM
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So we got away for a mini-vacation and ended up going to Grand Mesa on the western slope. We stayed in a motel in Cedaredge and then drove up each day for hiking and canoeing. It was great. And the motel was a trip. We were sitting in the hot tub and Mrs. Larsen had the weirdly acute insight that if there was a motel in Disneyland next to the Jungle Cruise, this would be it! And it was true. The motel was themed in sort of a 40's nostalgia theme. The owner loved doing wood working, so there was really a lot of custom wood working using pine ornamented with wood burning. And the game room had a real skiball machine in it. (Which we dumped zillions of quarters into. Mrs. Larsen is from Long Island and you can take the girl out of Long Island, but she still loves skiball.) There was strange lighting everywhere and hand made signs and the place was a total trip. We did set off the smoke alarm re-heating some pizza in the oven, we should have had all the windows open first.
We spent two nights there and then headed over for Glenwood Springs.
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31st August 2015, 06:16 PM
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That sounds marvelous, Wolfie!
I have localized (thank god) cellulitis in 7 of my yellow-jacket bites. It is not fun. But I am at home, watching TAGS, so life doesn't completely suck. I am concerned about my right ankle; the rest of them are doing ok.
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31st August 2015, 06:18 PM
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In Glenwood Springs we ended up discovering a phenomenal bargain.
Glenwood Springs has a huge hot springs pool with various smaller pools at higher temps. The water is most excellent and makes sore knees/hips/elbows feel much better. We've visited there many times. And always stayed in one of the motels blocks away from the pool. There is an official lodge there, but it always seemed pricey. But. We decided to stay there this trip because we'd always wanted to. And it isn't real cheap. But you get free use of the hot springs any time you are staying there. And they have a wonderful hot breakfast on the terrace that is included with the room. And when you add up the costs to go to the hot springs and breakfasts for two, suddenly the room is cheaper than a Comfort Inn. And you are right there at the hot springs and can walk over any time you want. The place draws a strong elderly eastern European clientele and I've always felt comfortable with them, having grown up with some. They tend to be nice people to sit on the steps in the medium pool and talk about "the old country" with. Hung out with some Germans and an elderly couple who had ridden the train in and were taking the waters "for health". We also found a very good Mexican family restaurant (run by an actual family) a few blocks away. We're from SoCal and picky about our Mexican food, but this was very good stuff. Going to try the tamales next time. We'll be doing this again.
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1st September 2015, 04:22 AM
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That sounds lovely, Wolf (except for the Mexican food. I don't like Mexican food).
Ironically, I could not sleep last night. I finally fell asleep around 0300. Bites are better this morning, but by no means gone. The swelling has decreased, but I'm still splotchy pink and still itchy. Started my prednisone this morning, so hope that helps the itchiness--that's the worst part about this. Called in to work--I need to keep my feet above my heart level today to really foster resolution of the cellulitis. Hard to do that driving 4 hours in a car and sitting at a desk. I've made progress; I'm not going backwards. It's boring.
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1st September 2015, 04:31 AM
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Sorry to hear that the stings are still itchy, Rigs.
I've never had Mexican food in Chicago, so no idea if what you are getting is good stuff or not. But the good stuff really is good.
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1st September 2015, 05:51 AM
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Finish coat of mud is up in the bathroom. Still need to finish coat the hallway and closet, but I want to refine the hallway doorway some more first. The doorway into the hallway from the top of the stairs* was arched. I have an aversion to crapily-done arches**, so I took a hammer and pry bar to it and made it an amoeba. Now I'm trying to make it a proper rectangle. Unfortunately that means matching up with existing plaster***, which is tricky. One layer of drywall is not thick enough, two is too thick. The answer is lots of setting compound and patience****.
While I do all this, I'm listening to Bryce Courtenay's "Tandia." It's good, but not a light-hearted read. *Technically at the landing, since there are two more stairs to get up to the level where the girls' bedrooms are. This makes more sense in person. **Nicely done arches are okay, even better if they're nicely done arches in a house where the architecture lends itself to arches. A federal style farmhouse does not fall into that category by any stretch of the imagination. ***Not just plaster, but plaster over some early version of drywall instead of lath. It made for hella thick walls. ****I suppose if I were a dab hand with actual plaster, that might be an even better answer, but I've never tried and now is not the time to start.
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1st September 2015, 05:57 AM
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No-bad sex and food one doesn't like are not better than going without, IMO. I don't like hot peppers [del]much[/del at all, can't stand beans. I prefer Italian/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavors. I suppose that's true for me re men, too.
 It's ok. We don't have to go out to eat, ever.  Go, Solfy! I'm starting to sort of kick around the idea of maybe painting Daughter's room and making it a guest room. It'd be a nice winter project. I'm picturing a nice soft, creamy white/ivory. It would lighten the room considerably (it gets east and south sun).
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1st September 2015, 06:57 AM
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Hooray for project progress!
Big HOORAY for hot springs. I know of and have visited some hotsprings next to the ruins of an old hotel. So far out it's de facto clothing optional. The view is a slope down to stream you had to cross twice to get there.
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1st September 2015, 08:06 AM
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I've got another slow day upcoming (I hope). Except for doing a slow, deep tidying preparing for Gaming night on Wednesday. And keeping the old man comfortable and medicated, of course. Gaming night was resurrected by request, I just never know how many to prepare for. There are two who never know if they can come until the last minute (weird job). That's nearly half the group. I hate having extra party food around. We eat it.
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