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Video post.
Source: Day One of Our Adventure
Video post.
Source: Day One of Our Adventure
The boat has been on Lake Travis for a month now. Our favorite excuse for why it's taken so long to publish these last chapters is that we've been busy sailing. And that's the truth. Here are a few photos of us enjoying Dolce Vitaville on Lake Travis.
Here are a few of the folks who have sailed with us.
Tuesday morning we arrived at the boat early to get ready for the actual launch into Lake Travis. We put the dinghy back onto the boat and fastened the fenders to the starboard side of the boat. Eric drove the boat through the parking lot to Eriksen Marine, next door to Emerald Point Marina.
The day came to a close, but he came back early the next morning to do a few last minute things before their noon flight back home to Maine. He helped us re-install the screacher. The screacher is a large sail that we use instead of the jib during light winds. We have found it to be very helpful on Lake Travis at times.
Life is good.
Fair winds,
Stephen and Franci
The mast comes off the trailer.
Dick Vermeulen checks things out.
Dick, Stephen and Eric Stough getting the mast ready to go up.
There were many wires and lines that go through the mast.
The shrouds which support the mast were reconnected. After a lunch break for all involved we returned to the boat to finish putting up the boom and the sails. Here are a few videos of that as well as a video of Dick going up the mast in a Boston's chair to attach the masthead fly.
Thursday was a quiet day. We hung out at the Seabrook Marina pool and got to know some of the other local boat owners. We will miss Seabrook Marina. It has been a marvelous home for Dolce Vitaville for the last month. Thursday evening Eric and his friend, Dave, arrived with the truck. We had a great dinner at Skipper's.
Friday we all arose early prepared for a big day. The guys spent most of the morning preparing and adjusting things on the truck to fit the exact needs of the boat. They did a super job of building the trailer to fit. They scheduled us for the actual lift in the late afternoon so everyone enjoyed a little midday rest in the cool of our motel rooms.
We re-convened later that day for the actual lift onto the truck. We drove the boat over to the shipyard where the marine travelift was waiting to do the job.
They washed the boat off after it came out if the water.
Then it was on to the trailer. Everything fit perfect.
They secured things and tied things down. They put on the signs and flags.
Saturday morning they spent more time making sure things were perfect and ready for an early start on Sunday morning.
We enjoyed our last day at Seabrook Marina. We hung out at the pool area some and went for lunch at Skipper's. That evening we would get to visit with our old dock neighbors, Art and Barbara. We were thrilled to finally get a chance to visit their boat, the Work of Art, an 80' long hull which they have finished themselves over the last twelve years. The work they have done on the interior of the boat is beautiful and original. They go soon to Florida where they will get outfitted with a mast and sails.
Sunday morning we took off early. We left Seabrook at 6 a.m. and took back roads across South Houston to Sugarland, eventually ending up on Highway 71 headed to Austin and Lake Travis.
The trailer had a flat tire along the way. Apparently, that 's to be expected and they had several spares.
There were a couple of wrong turns along the complicated route given us by Tx Dot but we still managed to arrive at Emerald Point before 4 p.m., a successful journey.
The driving team…..Eric and David Stough and Dave.
Life is good.
Fair winds,
Franci and Stephen
Wednesday, July 10
Tuesday we took Dolce Vitaville out for her final sail on Galveston Bay. Our friend, Lyse, came with us and it was a great day for sailing. We were among the few folks out sailing that day. There was a lovely southeast breeze and we enjoyed sailing all morning and long into the afternoon.
Wednesday morning we were up early ready to greet the guys from Stix N'Rign at 7a.m. They went to work dismantling the wiring and lines about the mast. They put away the screecher and jib sail. They marked and labeled each of the lines and wires as they disconnected them.
About 9 a.m, we drove the boat over to the shipyard where they began the process of taking down the jib furler, the boom and finally the mast itself. They used a crane and a large rope attached by a guy who went up the mast in a boson's chair. It was fun to watch. The guys at the Seabrook Shipyard really knew how to do it. The Stix N Rign crew along with the shipyard guys did a great job. We were impressed with their skill and expertise.
They labeled things and took pictures.
They took down the sails, then the boom and the mast.
Viewing was good in the shade.
The guys from Stix N'Rign would go on to wrap the mast and other parts in plastic wrap. They took apart the radar and shrouds and wrapped them safely in bubble wrap and delivered them back to the boat ready for the long adventure ahead. We were impressed with the thoroughness of the job. By Friday, everything would be wrapped and ready for transport.
After the mast was done, we enjoyed an afternoon by the pool and leftovers on the boat for dinner.
Life is good,
Fair winds,
Franci and Stephen
June 27, 2013
Recently our good friends, Jim Neece, and his lovely wife, Nancy, bought a new boat. Jim and Nancy are our long time friends who invited us to join them on their honeymoon in the BVI's back in 2009. We've been hooked on sailboat charters ever since. Jim and Nancy recently sold their sailboat on Lake Travis (27 foot monohull) and bought a 32' O'Day sailboat. Our friends from Houston, Helyn and Gary Mack, bought the 27 ft boat not realizing that all parties involved were friends of ours. Soon both parties discovered that they shared our friendship in common.
When the day came to unstep the mast of the boat and put it on a trailer for transport to Houston we could not resist attending the event. We had also learned that they had hired the same rigger and transporter who would soon be moving our boat from Seabrook to Lake Travis. What an opportunity. Here are few photos from that June morning at Lake Travis.
We only stayed for the taking down of the mast. We had other things to do that afternoon but it was a good introduction for the adventure ahead.
Life is good,
Fair winds,
Franci and Stephen


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Surgery, having a baby, or even an illness can keep you away from work. Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance may give you the financial support you need to pay your expenses until you are back on your feet and back to work. This insurance provides you with a weekly cash benefit to help pay for expenses (such as mortgage/rent, utilities, childcare, or groceries) if you are unable to work for a short time due to a covered disability.
You may be eligible for Short-Term Disability insurance as an active, dues-paying PEF member.
Please note: NYS employees are not eligible for New York Disability Benefits Law coverage, therefore this insurance program may be of interest to you!
You have the opportunity to buy affordable protection that may provide you with a weekly benefit once your claim is approved. This replacement income can help you manage your expenses without relying solely on vacation days, sick pay, or your savings to stay on track with your expenses.
You choose the benefit option that best fits your needs. Your Short-Term Disability benefit payments are not subject to federal income tax and will not be reduced by other income even though you may be entitled to sick leave or have other insurance coverage.
To learn more about Short-Term Disability insurance, call PEF Membership Benefits Program at (518)-785-1900, ext. 243, Opt. 2, or (800)-342-4306, ext. 243, Opt. 2.
You must join PEF before you can enroll in any one or more insurances.
If you are a PEF member already and still within your 120 days from date of hire, simply complete the enrollment form via the Enrollment Form button below and mail it to:
PEF Membership Benefits Program
10 Airline Drive, Suite 101
Albany, NY 12205
View Cristie's Sun Life story.
PEF Membership Benefits Program
10 Airline Drive, Suite 101
Albany, NY 12205
If you are downloading and completing the insurance enrollment application and the medical questionnaire, return both to PEF MBP at:
PEF Membership Benefits Program
10 Airline Drive, Suite 101
Albany, NY 12205
For more information: Call PEF Membership Benefits Program at (518) 785-1900, ext. 243, Opt. 2, or (800) 342-4306, ext. 243, Opt. 2. You may also email PEF Membership Benefits Program.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you are looking for a good liner or a good trimmer, there are many that may be available to you. If you have been looking into the Bevel Line of Products, you may be looking for a good Bevel Trimmer Review. We have created this web-page for our visitors who may be in search of this type of information. What we will have on this page will be just a few of the details of this product according to what the manufacturer has to say about This Trimmer. Also, we will show you where you may be able to see More Information such as the Ratings and the Testimonials from Actual Customers who have purchased This Trimmer and what their Different Results Were.
Some Details and Description of the Featured Product
#1. This Trimmer is said to be a Trimmer, with Cordless Capabilities, that is also said to have the ability to Give You Power, Consistently, either With or Without a Cord.
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This is not all that the Manufacturer has to say about this Trimmer, if you would like to see more information for yourself such as the Prices, the Testimonials and Reviews from Actual Customers who have Purchased this Product, all that you have to do is just Click Here and you will be taken to the Official Amazon Page for the Bevel Trimmer!!!
Barber Supplies Online Store!!!
If you would like to See More Information on Supplies, Tools, Equipment & More, all that you have to do is just Click Here and you will be taken to the Official Barber Supplies Online Store!!! Website!!!
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These cosmetic dentistry treatments include those that improve the appearance of the teeth, lips, and the gums. In some cases, cosmetic dentistry procedures are done not only to improve the appearance of the smile – but also the function of the gums, teeth, and the lip areas.
Teeth whitening is one of the most common cosmetic dentistry procedures done to improve the appearance of a person's smile. Unsightly stains or discolouration are addressed with teeth whitening procedures, which can make smiles look much more attractive afterwards.
Acorn Dental Care offers teeth whitening with ZOOM teeth whitening, with the in-office procedure guaranteed to whiten teeth by up to several shades.
A custom-made mouth tray is also offered for home whitening needs, with significant whitening results to be expected after two weeks of use.
Teeth straightening is done to address the problems brought about by crooked or misaligned teeth. Teeth that are not properly aligned can have a negative impact on how the smile appears; crooked teeth can also result to a variety of dental problems, especially since it is difficult to efficiently clean all teeth surfaces when they are not in a properly-aligned position.
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are used to replace the form and the function of teeth that have been lost. A dental implant, made of titanium, is embedded directly into the jaw bone. It then fuses (osseo-integrates) with the bone and becomes the new artificial root. The crown or bridge is then connected to the implant.
Dental Crowns & Bridges – Dental crowns are caps that are created to look almost exactly like a natural tooth, and are used to cover the affected tooth – improving its form and function. A dental bridge is a fixed restoration, and is used close the gap caused by one or several missing teeth.
Dental veneers are custom-made shells that are created to very closely resemble the appearance of natural teeth. Dental veneers are used to effectively deal with the improvement of the appearance of teeth that may have gone unsightly due to tooth decay, cracks, chips, stains, or discolouration. Dental veneers can also be used to solve the problem of minor teeth crookedness or misalignment. Learn More about Veneers>
A smile makeover is characterized by a combination of two or more cosmetic dentistry procedures, with the goal of improving the appearance of a person's smile. A smile makeover is done with the patient's needs and goals in mind, to be able to come up with a result that meets (or even exceeds) the patient's mile improvement needs.
Smile makeovers make use of the latest technology to assess your smile and work out which treatments will work best to give you the smile of your dreams.
You may be looking for a quick brightness boost in preparation for a special occasion such as a wedding or important business meeting, in which case tooth whitening may give you the smile you've always wanted. Alternatively, if your teeth are gapped, crooked or cracked, we may recommend porcelain veneers, composite bonding or discreet orthodontic treatment.
Once we've established what you want to achieve, we'll use photographs, x-rays and in some cases models to show you what we can do, and discuss the best treatments for your individual case.


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Attorney Jason Karavias
Attorney Jason Karavias
Jason Karavias Esq
239 4th Avenue Suite 1603
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
E-MailClick Here
This Attorney is
Lead Counsel Rated
Lead Counsel Rated
About Me
I am a lawyer who practices law with a personal approach. I take the time to truly understand my clients' needs and craft customized, realistic legal solutions to achieve the best possible results on a case-by-case basis. Whether you are seeking assistance with Chapter 7 bankruptcy or family immigration matter, I am well prepared to handle your case.
I am Licensed to Practice in:
Pennsylvaniasince 2010
New Yorksince 2001
My Education
Columbia UniversityBA - 1996
Boston University School of LawJD - 1999
My Memberships
Allegheny County Bar Association
ACBA Divorce Law Project
ACBA Professional Ethics Committee
Lead Counsel Rating Details
This Attorney is Rated in the Following Practice Areas:
Bankruptcy Law - Personal since 2015
Immigration Law since 2015
- Verified Experience
- Peer Recommended
- Spotless Record
Practice Highlights
Representative Verdicts & Settlements
Avvo Client's Choice Award
Three Best Rated Bankruptcy Attorney Pittsburgh
Best in the Burgh Immigration Lawyer Pittsburgh


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Libtards Boycott Arizona Ice tea
Posted by avideditor on April 28, 2010
"The kneejerk haters need to do a little research before they reflexively call for boycotts. The uninformed pantywaists who haven't the slightest clue about Arizona's new law are running around calling for boycotts far and wide and have now called for a boycott of Arizona Iced Tea.
Just one problem: It's made in New York. Talk about weapons-grade stupidity.
Opponents of Arizona's new anti-immigrant law are calling for a boycott of the state's products – including the popular Arizona Iced Tea.
The problem: Arizona Iced Tea is actually brewed in New York.
Online, misguided tea fans vowed to switch to Lipton or Snapple.
"Dear Arizona: If you don't change your immigration policy, I will have to stop drinking your enjoyable brand of iced tea,"Twittered Jody Beth in Los Angeles.
"It is the drink of fascists," wrote Travis Nichols in Chicago.
The company did not return messages asking if they planned to set the public straight.
Founded in Brooklyn in 1992, the firm was based in Queens before moving into a new $35 million headquarters in Nassau County last year.
Of course the "reporter" in this case is also woefully uninformed.
The new state law allows cops to demand citizenship papers from anyone they think looks illegal.
Uh, no, it doesn't. It allows law enforcement to report anyone picked up in the commission of a crime who happens to be illegal."


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From page 6 today's Kent on Sunday:
Strong recommendations were made in the European Parliament last week for an EU-wide urban speed limit of 20mph.
the support lacks the force of law, recommendations made in the
European Parliament can be influential in shaping policy within
governments on a national and local level.
But the move has sparked a clash between the Green Party and Conservative members in Kent.
Green Party, which has been pushing for a drop in speed around schools,
celebrated the EU support, stating there was now no excuse for
residential roads to remain at 30mph.
"Councillors need to seize this opportunity to make life better for all," said spokesman Stuart Jeffery.
August, highways chiefs at Kent County Council announced they would be
trialling a 20mph speed limit involving six primary schools in Maidstone
early next year in a bid to improve road safety.
Mr Jeffery said:
"The council is dipping its toe into 20mph zones outside schools, which
is a step in the right direction, but the weight of opinion must now
quickly take them to making all of our streets safer.
"The vast majority of residents would feel and be safer with cars coming past their houses at 20mph instead of 30mph."
MEP for the south east Keith Taylor added: "This limit would ensure
drivers have to respect the same road rules no matter where they drive,
making it easier for drivers and safer for all those on or near our
But while the Greens were celebrating, Tory MEPs condemned the recommendations.
They claimed it was an example of EU "meddling".
Hannan, who represents the south east, including Kent, in Brussels,
said the proposal was another example of Europe trying to dictate to
Britain on issues that should be decided locally.
"Of course
speed limits as low as 20mph or so can be right in some very specific
areas, especially near schools or nurseries, but every location is
different and these decisions need to be made case by case. Not by a
Europe-wide edict."
A potential change to motorway speed has also
been discussed this week, with transport secretary Philip Hammond
confirming plans to consult on raising the limit to 80mph.
at the Conservative Party conference this week, he said the current
70mph limit had become "discredited" and failed to keep pace with
advances in motoring.
But Maidstone Green Party's Mr Jeffery said local members would campaign against the proposed rise.
"Fuel costs and CO2 emissions will increase significantly, as will accidents and air pollution," he said.
"The M20 corridor already suffers with bad air quality - an 80mph limit would simply make this worse."


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The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms - 1350 to 1700
- Road to American Liberty - 1700 to 1780
- A Prospering New Republic - 1780 to 1860
- A Nation Asunder - 1861 to 1865
- The American West - 1850 to 1900
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt and Elegant Arms - 1880s to 1920s
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond - 1940 to Present
- For the Fun of It
- Modern Firearms - 1950 to Present
- Hollywood Guns
General Frank T. Mildren U.S./Colt M1903 Semi-Automatic General Officer's Pistol
This pistol (SN 567272) was twice presented to General Frank T. Mildren, U. S. Army. This gun was originally presented to General Mildren by the Army, then re-presented after it had been engraved. Army general officers have been issued special pistols since the Second World War. The reasons for this are obscure. Typically, Army general officer pistols have been John Browning-designed Colt Pocket Automatic Pistols in .32 or .380 caliber.
General Frank Thomas Mildren was born in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 8, 1913. He completed two years of study at the University of Nevada before entering the United States Military Academy in 1935. After graduating four years later, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and assigned to Company K, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Douglas, Utah. Over the course of the following three years, he served in command of the Regiment's Anti-Tank Company, A Company, and was an instructor at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School.
On April 13, 1941, Lieutenant Mildren married Audrey Leone Paulus. He was promoted to Captain in March 1942 and was assigned to command of 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He attended the Battalion Commander and Staff Officer School, Fort Benning, Georgia during that same year, and in October 1942 he was promoted to Major. After completion of the course of instruction at Fort Benning, he returned to the 38th Infantry Regiment. In the summer of 1943, he assumed command of the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment prior to the unit's deployment to Europe.
As a Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment during the Normandy invasion in June 1944, where his troops landed on Omaha Beach. He saw action throughout France and Germany, becoming Executive Officer of the 38th Infantry shortly before the end of hostilities. In June 1945, he became commander of the 23rd Infantry in time for the unit's return to the United States. In August of that year, he became Operations Officer of the 2nd Division. From September 1946 to June 1947, he attended the Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and upon completion of the course, he was assigned to the Operations staff at the War Department in Washington. While serving in this capacity, he also attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia.
In October 1950, he became Deputy Operations Officer for the X Army Corps in Korea. Within four months, he assumed the duties of Operations Officer for the Corps, and in June 1951, he returned to the 38th Infantry Regiment as its commander. Under his leadership, the unit took part in the fighting at Heartbreak Ridge, the capture of the "Punchbowl", and the battle for Mun Dung-Ni Valley. In October 1951, he was promoted to Colonel, and by year's end, he was named Senior Aide to the Commanding General, U.S. Eighth Army. After his return to the United States in the summer of 1952, Colonel Mildren served as a member of the faculty at the Infantry School at Fort Benning.
After a three-year tour of duty at the school, he attended the National War College. After graduation in 1956, he was designated Chief, Budget Division for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel in Washington. In 1960, twenty-one years after completing his studies at West Point, he received his brigadier general's star and was assigned to duty as Assistant Division Commander, 24th Infantry Division in Germany. Over the next two years, he served as Chief of Staff, V Corps and Commanding General, 3rd Infantry Division, and was promoted to Major General. In April 1964, General Mildren became Director of Doctrine and Systems in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development.
He remained in this assignment until July 1, 1965, when he was promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of the VII Corps in Germany. After nearly three years in Europe, he was designated the Army's Deputy Commanding General in Vietnam. He returned to the United States in August 1970 and assumed his duties as Deputy Commanding General, Headquarters, Continental Army Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia. During the following spring, he was promoted to General and became NATO Commander in Southeastern Europe. General Mildren retired from the Army on August 1, 1973.
During his 34-year career, he received the Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Silver Star with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with V and two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal, Purple Heart, Campaign and Service medals for the Second World War, Korea, and Vietnam with battle stars, Combat Infantryman Badge with Star, and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations and awards.
By his own admission, General Mildren was a poor marksman with a pistol, but he qualified as an expert with a rifle. During his Second World War and Korean service, he carried both the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine at various times. While in Vietnam, he carried his issue General Officer's Pistol because, as he put it, "I always had good marksmen with me wherever I went." General Mildren's pistol was elaborately engraved by J. Aichholzer of Ulm, West Germany.
Originally presented by the Army on his promotion to Brigadier General in 1960, the pistol was swapped with that of Major General John F. Freund, VII Corps Chief of Staff, without General Mildren's knowledge so that it could be engraved. It was then re-presented in 1968 by General Freund. Featured are oak leaf designs on the frame, slide, and custom grips, the three stars signifying the rank of lieutenant general which was held by General Mildren at the time in which the pistol was engraved, the shoulder patch of the VII Corps, an inlaid Great Seal of the United States, and the name "Frank T. Mildren." The overall gray cast metal finish helps to accentuate the engraving and inlays. This double-presentation pistol is very likely unique among U.S. Army General Officer's Pistols.


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It's spring, and we all know what that means—shedding! How can you get your horse's coat into slick, shiny show-ready condition? Liv Gude of Pro Equine Grooms has the answers…
Nothing Beats A Little Bit Of Elbow Grease
What's the best way to get my horse's furry winter coat shed out quickly so he doesn't look like a mothball?
A horse that looks like a moth-eaten wooly mammoth or furry monster is sometimes funny but mostly annoying. You can help your horse's spring shedding a few different ways, but there aren't really any shortcuts. So, as an added bonus, your arms may get sore and/or buff.
The curry comb may as well be glued to your hand. A good curry comb that is just the right flexibility for your horse is a must for his body and neck. Try out a few different types to find the one your horse responds to best. Some horses like a stiffer curry; others prefer a softer one. For legs, ears, faces and other sensitive areas, the pimple mitts or two-sided jelly curry combs are the best. You can get a lot of feedback from your horse as you curry these more sensitive areas, and you can also fold them in half to get the tricky areas.
All of us routinely use the curry comb before we tack up and ride, which of course helps shedding. But using the curry again after your horse exercises, even if he's a bit damp with sweat, will take advantage of open follicles and release even more hair. And you can work on even bigger biceps.
You can also let your horse roll in the dirt more outside. Yes, roll more. While this seems contrary to any groom's idea of a clean and well groomed horse, a good patch of dirt or favorite rolling spot acts like a giant curry comb. Follow with a stiff brush and some major flicking action, and a good part of the shedding process is done for the day.
The metal shedding combs can damage a coat, although I do like them for removing caked-on mud after your horse has wallowed in a mud patch. If you like to use metal combs or blades, please avoid any bony areas of your horse, such as the shoulders and hips, and skip using them on legs, face and ears.
If you have a horse vacuum, this is a great tool to help with shedding season. The horse vacuum is best used after a good curry session, as this brings up the dust and dirt trapped in a longer, wooly coat, and it helps control the flying hairs that have just been shed. It's much easier to vacuum loose hairs up instead of sending them into the air with the flick of your brush. We can all agree that most of our horse's hairs sent airborne by a brush end up on us.
Of course, the basis for a good healthy coat is a good healthy diet and exercise program. Work with your equine nutritionist and veterinarian to make sure your horse has the proper vitamins, minerals and fatty acids in the diet that create a healthy coat. This will ensure the new coat coming in will wow you.
It Depends
Can/should you clip in the spring?
Of course you can clip in the spring! But, you may not want to. There are a few things to consider first.
As hair grows, it tends to taper and lay naturally. When you clip, all hairs are cut off at exactly the same length, which is a smidge unnatural looking and typically much duller than the coat you started with. However, if this is OK with you, go for it! After a few weeks, a clipped coat does look much more natural.
Another thing to consider is your horse's color. Some bays turn mousy when clipped, and chestnuts can be more pumpkin-colored after a clip. Again, it's up to you if you are OK with a possible color change of your horse.
You will also want to think about this—clipping a shedding coat won't stop the shedding process—it will just make the hairs that will shed out much shorter. You will still have a ton of hair shedding out!
Blanketing is another consideration; even as the days get longer and warmer, the nights can be cold, and your freshly clipped horse will need some blanketing. You will also need to consider extra fly protection and sun protection during the day.
What is your show or clinic schedule like? If you have a creature that resembles part-horse and part-wooly mammoth and a show scheduled for next weekend, consider clipping to create a smooth appearance for the show ring. If your weekends are show-free for a few months, you can skip clipping and depend on the curry comb.
Get Him Blooming
What is the best way to get my horse's coat in gleaming shape for spring shows?
A gleaming show coat comes from the inside out. That gleam, or bloom, is the result of a horse's own natural oils. Start with a diet that is well balanced, with the proper amounts of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. Add a good exercise program and pasture if you have it.
Then, it's time for your elbow grease and a lot of it. Grooming is a great massage and brings those natural oils out. Try and limit shampoo baths that may strip those oils away. It's very tempting to shampoo away a stain, but if you allow the natural oils to build up, you end up with shine, and stains will slide off with a damp cloth.
Your gleaming grooming routine should also include appropriate horse clothing to protect your horse's coat. A waterproof sheet for rainy days, a cotton sheet for cool days and nights, and a fly sheet for warm weather protect your horse from sun, mud, flies and dust. This will save you time, keep that coat from bleaching out and getting stains, and help keep the dust and dirt away.
You can also make an old-fashioned hay wisp, which is rubbed on your horse to create amazing shine. Here's how: Create a ½" rope from dampened and soft hay. Twist the hay until you have about 6' of it. Then, create two loops at one end of the rope, one loop slightly larger. So you end up with two loops and one rope. Braid them all together. Ta-dah!! Wisp. When you are done braiding, you can dampen the wisp and even step on it. It should be firm and small enough to hold in one hand. This may take some practice, but it's worth it! Using this wisp on the horse's coat in a vigorous action with the direction of the hair will help the coat bloom.
Products are another way to help your horse sparkle and shine. You will need to decide what works for your budget and style. If you do plan on showing, please practice with any sprays or products before you get to the show, and definitely avoid using them on the saddle area, just in case.
If you create shine from the inside and outside, your horse's gleam and bloom will set you apart from the rest. Happy showing!
Do you have any grooming questions or mysteries you'd like answered? Email them to us, and Liv will address them next month!


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Archive for April, 2015|Monthly archive page
Day Nineteen: Don't Stop the Rockin'
Today is a free writing day. Write at least four-hundred words, and once you start typing, don't stop. No self-editing, no trash-talking, and no second guessing: just go. Bonus points if you tackle an idea you've been playing with but think is too silly to post about.
Day Seventeen: Your Personality on the Page
Today's Prompt: We all have anxieties, worries, and fears. What are you scared of? Address one of your worst fears.
Treasure hunting in the garage
Day Sixteen: Third Time's the Charm
Today's Prompt: Imagine you had a job in which you had to sift through forgotten or lost belongings. Describe a day in which you come upon something peculiar, or tell a story about something interesting you find in a pile.
— — — — —
When I was a kid, I loved to climb into the loft over our garage and poke around in the boxes and cubbies stored up there. Of course, I was definitely not allowed to go up there and certainly not allowed to snoop my way through the trove of interesting things that could be found there.
That didn't stop me, though.
The loft was, to my mischief-filled, pre-pubescent mind, a mysterious world of shadow and hidden relics. I was convinced, at eight years old, that there was a doorway to another world hidden behind a stack of crates in the back corner. I was sure that if I could master my fear of the dark and of spiders, I would one day wander into Neverland, or Narnia, or The Hundred Acre Wood.
That never happened, much to my sorrow. But many a Saturday afternoon adventure happened in the dusty gloom of that loft.
It required daring and agility to gain the attic. Rickety wooden steps stopped in a square landing about six feet above the threshold of the door into the garage from the laundry room in our house. But there was still a gap of several feet between the top of the landing and the edge of the loft floor. So you either had to bring a step stool up to the landing, or do a pull-up, to shimmy on your belly over the edge. I did both, but the pull-up most often, until I had a growth spurt and my strength to weight ratio betrayed me.
Junk. Most of the contents of the loft fit that description. But I didn't think so then. All of it was discovery, excitement and thrills. Interesting cases covered in dried, flaking leather, or pasteboard boxes printed with stripes or flowers or polka dots captured my imagination. Every cardboard packing box represented a chance to unearth treasure of unimagined dimension.
I remember finding a red leather case with faded green velvet lining housing a full set of shiny, steel, precision drafting tools. These were a relic of my oldest brother's one semester of architectural engineering at college. The tools had been my great uncle's; he was a builder in West Texas in the first half of the twentieth century. My grandmother had lent them to my brother for school, but they ended up in the loft when he switched majors. I wanted so badly to keep and learn to use them, but my mother wouldn't allow it.
Another time, I came across a box full of chefs magazines and spent an entire afternoon looking through them, drooling over all the amazing pictures of fantastic dishes. The desserts were of most interest, of course. But the photography was so exquisite that even dishes showing things I knew I could never eat captivated me. Then, in a stunning discovery, I found myself reading a profile about my own father. In an internationally recognized magazine. My dad. I was so chuffed to see it, I ended up busting myself by running into the house with the issue in my hand, hollering about it to my mom. She grounded me for being in the loft without permission. But she kept the magazine in the house for a long time. I loved looking at it, because it gave me a glimpse into my dad's world outside our family.
Digging through the saved tidbits of days past can be nostalgic and emotional, even traumatic. But, with the right mix of child-like wonder, curiosity and daring, adventure can be found in every forgotten corner and dusty crate.
A defining event
Writing 101 prompts and twists for days 14 & 15 (last Thursday and Friday) were not immediately inspiring for me. The first was to take a random word as inspiration and the twist was to write in the form of a letter. The second was to imagine a beloved event has been cancelled or taken over by evil forces, with the twist to pay close attention to my voice in word choice, tone and rhythm. I haven't been able to come up with any ground shaking inspiration and I simply cannot write letters to no one. So I've combined the two challenges into one post and skipped the one twist. Here's my day 14/15 post.
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Seeing a random reference to "butch" and "conference" last week got me thinking about an event that I don't think I'll ever forget. Two years ago, when I was in the first blush of being out of the closet to people "in real life" (IRL), people with whom I have in-person interaction, I went to a conference that really did change my life. There, for the first time ever, I was among people who looked like me, had similar experiences and knew how it felt to be always on the outside looking in. For the first time in my life, I wasn't a minority by virtue of my gender presentation and identity.
Attending the Butch Voices conference in August of 2013 was a formative experience. Validating, freeing, uplifting, eye-opening, the BV13 conference was all of these and something more. I met in person folks who had been important to me (unbeknownst to them) in my coming out journey. A favorite blogger, several favorite Tweeters and a business contact, all of whom I'd had interaction with only online, became IRL acquaintances and, for some, real friends.
Discourse on all manner of gender and identity and sexuality related topics filled those few amazing days. I'd never before felt free to talk about some of those things with anyone before, and it was inspiring to hear people from every demographic share their views and experiences with everyone.
So moving was my time there that I have a hard time imagining that it will never happen again, or that some unsavory element could seize control of the event and turn it into a travesty of its former self. Even for the sake of a writing exercise, I hesitate to release the idea into the universe, lest it come true.
The event ceasing to be is more likely to happen from apathy and disorganization, than from takeover by opposition. As with any grassroots effort without broad-based underwriting and formal leadership, the focus and discipline of the individual organizers, as well as the enthusiasm and buy-in of attendees, can make or break the event. Also, broadcast communication early and often is a key element of success. 2013's conference seemed to hit all those notes well. I am concerned that this year's conference scheduled has not, as of Friday, been released. To have reached the end of April without a formal conference announcement and schedule for an event in August seems to me to be cutting it a bit fine, from a planning perspective. I'm hopeful that my nerves are unwarranted and the schedule will come out shortly.
But what if some nefarious element should intervene? Say, a homophobic, transphobic, hate group were to infiltrate the the organization, what would the BV15 conference be then?
First, assuming the conference is held at all, would the hate group element disrupt the planning efforts as well as the event itself? That seems likely. Delaying tactics, such as blocking votes on agenda, venue and services providers could easily set back planning to the point of paralysis. Then, if the event does get off the ground, how would the conference be changed?
My biggest fear is that the welcome and acceptance endemic to my experience at BV13 would be diminished. The magic of that event was in the miracle of validation gleaned from the automatic acceptance every attendee received upon arrival and throughout the event. Your self identification to any form of gender identity and expression was all that was required. No one questioned whether you were 'XXX enough' to claim that identity. No one argued with your self applied labels or pronouns. You were accepted as you presented yourself. That is an amazing and exceedingly rare circumstance for most people who attend that conference. What a shame, what a travesty it would be if anyone were to diminish that by instituting any rules or policies or practices that made any self identification in any way suspect.
I hope very much that this year's conference does happen, that all who can benefit from a welcoming, validating, accepting, safe place to commune with and learn from our beautifully diverse community are able to attend and that no unsavory influence mars the uplifting harmony of this important event.
C'mon, BV15! I can hardly wait to find out what's in store for this year!
Day Thirteen: Serially Found
On day four, you wrote a post about losing something. Today's Prompt: write about finding something.
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I'm not making this post the second in a series, as suggested in today's Twist. When I wrote about loss, it was a very personal tribute to a beloved uncle. I won't cheapen that by linking it to a story about finding some trivial possession or discovering some dry fact or some personal betrayal. So today's post stands on its own.
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I've lost and found a whole lot of things in my 46 years, both physical and intangible. Most of the lost objects are only misplaced and turn up on their own sooner or later. But some things–friends, family, love, commitment, interest, passion, all the essential and intangible things–take a lot of work to discover, recover, or find in the first instance.
That's true of my discovery of my true identity. I think, really, that I knew myself very well when I was a little kid. But somewhere along the way, I lost sight of that essential truth amid a sea of external pressure and expectations. Through years, decades, of trying to be something and everything that everyone else wanted me to be, I accumulated a thick layer of social and emotional camouflage that hid me even from myself.
Finding my way back to myself was the work of years full of honest, even brutal, self examination and dedicated self improvement. Overcoming fear was the biggest hurdle. I was afraid of everything, to some degree. Fear of disappointing my family and friends, fear of rejection, fear of violence, fear of homelessness and poverty as a result of all the above, were my biggest concerns.
Ironically, it was an even more pressing and weighty fear that helped me get past the first level of inertia. I feared that I would live out the entirety of my existence without ever actually knowing myself. Ignorance of my own nature, of my own potential, and of my own capacity to love and be loved, seemed to me a fate much worse than my fear of losing home and career as a consequence of owning my true identity.
So, quite a few years ago now, I began a slow, sometimes painful, often secret journey of self discovery. I started with the simple, private admission that I was not living as my true self, that there was more of me than I acknowledged to the world at large. I was not certain the exact nature and dimension of my discontent. But I knew there was something not right and that only I had the power to make it right.
Many experiments in appearance, mannerisms, philosophies and lifestyle choices (no, not homosexuality; gay is not a choice, lifestyle or otherwise) ensued. Self improvement initiatives of every stripe were tried in fits and starts, most of which failed. But the deeply personal exercise of these activities was satisfying, even when some of them fell flat.
I committed to being better than I was before. On a micro scale, day by day, I worked on one aspect of my personality or spirit or (on the rare occasion) my body. I didn't schedule the work. Rather, I took up each task as it occurred to me. One day I'd notice a weakness in my confidence and I'd concentrate for days on limiting hesitation and unnecessary apologies. Another time I found myself equivocating and hiding things in my answers to people who mattered to me, so I redoubled my dedication to truthfulness and transparency.
These betterment efforts all related to the overall objective of discovering my truth. These self improvement projects helped me strip away the layers of camouflage hiding my true self. With personal growth and emotional maturity came the courage to confront a lot of insecurities. Taking back my power from the fog of other people's expectations and disappointments, I freed myself to name my own identity and live with authenticity in that identity.
Gender and sexuality are a big part of that truth, yes. But they aren't everything. I found new dimensions of freedom, confidence, and comfort in my own skin that I hadn't dreamed existed. When I stopped chasing the pat on the head and empty platitudes of everyone else and started valuing my own notions of right and good and real as they relate to my self and my life, whole new vistas of possibilities were revealed.
I think the most valuable thing I've found in my search for myself is a means to accept myself so that I can let others accept me too.
Of course, the journey and the search never end. That's a very good thing. But at least I have discovered myself, chosen the path of authenticity, and am now living rather than merely existing.
No good deed…
Day Twelve: Dark Clouds on the (Virtual) Horizon
Today's Prompt: Write a post inspired by a real-world conversation.
Today's twist: include an element of foreshadowing in the beginning of your post.
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Acting on the basis of only a fragment of overheard conversation is a very risky business. Just ask Severus Snape, Voldemort and James, Lilly & Harry Potter. That half-heard conversation (prophecy) and subsequent tattle telling resulted in horrific tragedy.
Thankfully, my own experience with this didn't include murder as a consequence. But I learned a valuable lesson that I apply to this day: don't listen to other people's conversations and, for heaven's sake, don't be stupid enough to act on what you overhear.
Before I was the badass butch boss I am today, I was a lowly drudge in a sweatshop. Er…ok, maybe not, but it felt like it for a good long time.
My boss, when I was a staff attorney about 8 years ago, was a first class wench. She delighted in making my life miserable. Sneering comments about my weight and personal appearance, veiled threats of demotion or being passed over for choice assignments, and general nastiness were her tools of torture. She wielded her authority like a club and hurled unreasonable demands like bullets along with a fusillade of curse words and insults.
Everyone was wary of getting on her wrong side and tended to watch for signs of her ire so others could be warned to stay clear. It was a common thing for one of us to make rounds of the other attorneys' offices to pass on a "watch your step, trouble is brewing " tip. It was only right.
About the time I made my epic mistake, the boss had lately taken to picking on the newest staff attorney for no other reason than that I had given her a good recommendation after her job interview. The boss made the hiring decision, but because I'd said I liked this candidate over another, this person wore a target from day one. If I'd known that would happen, I wouldn't have recommended anyone. I wouldn't wish being on that boss' s@&t list on anyone.
So my new colleague was the boss' latest victim. I felt guilty for contributing to this misery, so I tried to keep an eye and ear out for potential trouble for her in particular, and let her know to watch out. That's what I thought I was doing on the fateful day of my recollection.
Strolling through the main legal department office on my way back to my office from a meeting, I overheard the boss sniping to another staff attorney in a tone full of sneering derision. I knew it wasn't directed at the person she was talking to; rather, they were both talking about a third person. The boss was saying "She didn't even have the courtesy to tell me to my face she wasn't going to be there. She sent an email two minutes before the meeting. I had to go in her place and had nothing prepared. I'm livid!"
Visions of career-ending shouting matches and burnt bridges flashed in my head. I knew my new coworker had gone to an unexpected appointment at her child's school and was late getting back to the office. I also knew that she had been scheduled to meet with accounting that day to discuss how legal and accounting could improve coordination relative to customer contacts. She was supposed to present the results of the meeting to the legal team at our next staff meeting. I thought she'd put the meeting off to the following day. But, to my ears, it sounded like the boss took the meeting instead. And now my friend was in trouble because the boss had to step in.
I continued into my office and headed straight for the phone. I called my friend and told her to get back to the office and come up with a plan to salvage the boss' temper. I told her what I'd heard, explained that I didn't hear her name mentioned, but that it sounded to me like she was the subject of the rant and that it stemmed from the meeting with accounting. She panicked because she'd forgotten to postpone the meeting and agreed she'd better hurry back.
But instead of coming straight back and using the drive time to think out a reasoned approach, she rashly called the boss. In her panic, she lost her head and blurted out that *I*, calling me by name, had heard the boss talking about her mistake and she was sorry and would be back in the office in a few minutes.
Of course, it turns out the boss was griping about something and someone totally different. And, of course, until that call, the boss hadn't even noticed that my coworker had left the office. So now, not only was my friend in trouble two times over (the meeting and her unnoticed absence), but I was in the fire for "lying" about the boss.
The boss had made a bee-line for my office immediately after hanging up on my colleague. I spent a very uncomfortable fifteen minutes getting my head ripped off for gossiping, causing stress to the boss and my coworkers by my lies, and for talking about things the boss had said "in confidence". Never mind that she was talking loudly in a public common area. Never mind that it was a minor misunderstanding. Never mind that no one was actually harmed or even inconvenienced. No, I was a gossip and a troublemaker for vilifying the boss to my coworker.
No good deed goes unpunished, they say. That's certainly how I felt at the time.
And, just to cap it off, when I collared my colleague about using my name, she burst into tears. She bawled like a toddler, stammering out an incoherent apology that edged up as an accusation that I had caused all the trouble myself. In her eyes, my failure to hear the whole story lead to all the misery. While I acknowledge that I didn't have the whole story, it seems to me that had the object of the overheard rant actually been my friend, the fragment of conversation was enough to warn her about. If I hadn't, what kind of ally would I have been then?
Damned, no matter what.
And, from that day to this, I have never again jumped to action without knowing I had complete facts.
Middle of the Block
Day Eleven: Size Matters (In Sentences)
Today's Prompt: Where did you live when you were 12 years old?
Today's twist: pay attention to your sentence lengths and use short, medium, and long sentences as you compose your response about the home you lived in when you were twelve.
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Oof. This ones a bit rough and rambling. But I'm not going to edit. It was fun to write and is a glimpse into my awkward past.
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I had a lovely childhood. Not perfect. No one has a perfect life. Sometimes, the imperfections add interest and character without destroying the beauty. That's how I feel about where and how I grew up.
It was a big town for a sparsely populated state. As a kid, I thought we lived "in the city". (Those quotation marks were present in my head whenever I considered our home town. I thought in quotes. Weird.) To me, it was a huge, exciting place full of amazing things. And I wanted to see them all.
From my perspective, being a "city girl" helped explain why I was so different from what I learned to believe the world expected all girls should be. I lived in a big city, so I had to be tough and ready for anything, not some frilly princess. My jeans and rough sneakers and ratty t-shirts were armor, they were my first layer of tough. I believed I would grow the tough inside to match my clothes, if I worked hard enough.
Never mind that I lived in a perfectly lovely, ranch-style house in the middle of the block on a bucolic street in a Beaver Clever town. There was little that I had to be tough against that didn't live in my imagination. But that's how I thought of myself, a tough city girl in a big city.
The reality, looking back with 34 years of life between me and 12 year old me, is very different. Not better or worse. Just different. I imagine I have a clearer sense of what reality was back then, because I have grown and matured since then. But, I'm not going to pass judgment on the quality of my 12 year old assessment of her then-reality. What I believed back then made sense for who I was then.
At 12 years old, I was the epitome of the grubby, awkward, tomboy so often depicted in movies and literature. It's hard now to decide if I came by it organically or if I was heavily influenced by those media tropes. Whatever the origin, that was me. Even then, perhaps especially then, I was out of sync with my surroundings.
My house in the middle of the block was neat, with trimmed grass and big, shady trees in the front yard. It started off an oddly aqua colored clapboard house with a big screen porch. Then, at some time in my childhood that I can't pinpoint, my parents had aluminum siding put on, turning it white with black shutters. They put in plexiglass windows on the porch, though left the corrugated fiberglass roof of the porch a jarring, mis-matched green.
Despite the odd porch, our house in the middle of the block was nice-looking and welcoming. It matched the other houses on the block, mostly. Each one had at least one small oddity about it. The brick Tudor-esque house across the street was tidy, but had foil on several windows, instead of curtains. The house to the right of ours was occupied by a wonderful elderly couple, yet had a speedboat parked in the driveway most of the year. The house to the left had the meanest dog in the world, even though it didn't weigh 10 ponds. And the house at the top of the block was scary, as much because of the heavy traffic that flowed past it constantly on a busy thoroughfare, as because of the barren yard with twisting, exposed tree roots that seemed to magnetically attract balls and other toys that were brought too near.
Our block was split by an alley that ran behind our house, separating my side of the block from the other, where lived the boy who was my most frequent playmate. Only half a block, but a foreign world to my youthful eyes. I always felt a stranger in a new world when I rounded that corner on my bike. But I grew to love that street as much as my own, even though it wasn't home.
The house directly across the alley from ours was basically a junk yard. There was such a huge mess of rusting metal and unidentifiable debris, I always marveled that the inhabitants could find their way to the alley to take out the trash.
At twelve years old I yearned constantly to explore that junkyard, but (a) I wasn't allowed to speak to those people (some long forgotten feud that I never understood); and (b) I was terrified of their dog ripping my head off if I went in uninvited. So I'd hang out in the fort I built in my back yard and plot endless excursions to the junkyard that went unfulfilled. Daydreams of an awkward kid in a play fort.
You might think twelve is a little old for forts and such. But it was so much more than a play place. It was my own world. I didn't actually build it. Nature did. But I made it my own with cool stuff scavenged from hither and yon on the block. A wooden cable spool was both chair and table. An old school desk was there for a while, until I nearly cut my finger off with the lid hinge (a story for another time). A secret cache for treasures, and toys and gizmos of every type made my fort the best, homiest place I knew.
It was just a hollow space formed by massive lilac bushes growing along the fence line, creating a pocket behind themselves at the far corner of the yard. But, to my pre-pubescent mind, it was a magnificent sanctuary.
At twelve, amid my awkwardness in my eminently normal family in our lovely square house in the middle of the block, I often craved solitude. My fort provided it. When the pressure of being too odd, too big, too loud, got to be too much, I'd head out to my fort where I could be myself without anyone looking at me funny. I would sit on my spool and read leaning back against the trunk of a tall elm tree growing through one of the lilac bushes. Or else I'd listen to the birds and be so still, willing them to come visit. They never did. Sometimes, I'd just go there to think. Always the fort was my own oasis.
When I couldn't be out in my fort, I hung out in my room. It was less oasis and more chamber of opposites.
Our house in the middle of the block started off as a three bedroom house with an unfinished basement. My folks semi-finished the basement, forming bedrooms for my brothers and a rec room with the bulk of the space. Upstairs, after my sister left home, they took out the wall between their room and hers, making a large master bedroom. But everyone had a spot of their own.
Around about my eleventh birthday, maybe a little before, my parents made what would become a last-ditch effort to make me more of a girl. They remodeled my room, painting it dusty rose and cream, giving me a lace canopy bed and a fuzzy pink rug. It was everything I was not. But my parents worked so hard to give me something lovely, I couldn't reject it. So, even though it was a place that I felt completely disconnected from, it was my own. I spent a lot of time in there. Study, play, quiet reading time were all my occupation in that prickly pink room. It wasn't comfortable, but it was private.
The rest of our house was more comfortable to me. Lots of places to sit in a big, open living room. Shag carpet and long curtains made it quiet and pleasantly dark or light, as one desired. There was space enough for everyone, though we didn't often test the limits of its capacity.
The dining room at the back of the house was an addition before we moved in and was constantly freezing in winter. But the tiny galley kitchen, though cramped, was the hub of life in our house. It served as intended, to prepare meals. But it was also the messaging center with phone and note space on the wall next to the stove. It showcased achievements in pictures and ribbons and report cards on the fridge. And if anything was ever missing, checking the kitchen catch-all drawer or the freezer (I said I was a weird kid), usually found it fastest.
Our house in the middle of the block was as never the height of fashion. It was furnished with big, heavy, western style wooden furniture in durable fabrics with busy prints that stood up to wear. The massive couch and swivel rockers invited you to sit and enjoy each other's company, despite the busy fabric pattern. But whatever it looked like, the home was only a home because of our family.
We were a family that strove to project an image of middle class values and normalcy. Despite being the token interracial family in the neighborhood, I think we succeeded pretty well. We were busy, active and private. We had friends and acquaintances who visited occasionally, but we kept to ourselves, mostly. We checked in with each other, helped each other, argued and made up with each other. And at the center of it all was our square house in the middle of the block, where we lived and loved together as a family.
Love lived in that square house in the middle of the block. That's what I remember most about where I lived at twelve years old.
Day Ten: Happy (Insert Special Occasion Here)!
Today's Prompt: Tell us something about your favorite childhood meal — the one that was always a treat, that meant "celebration," or that comforted you and has deep roots in your memory.
Today's twist: Tell the story in your own distinct voice.
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I'm cheating. Yesterday's Writing 101 prompt was an exercise in point of view. I didn't do it. It didn't interest me enough to research what that truly means. So I'm skipping it and doing today's instead. But maybe because this post is "in my own distinct voice", this can count as both a point of view piece and a description of memory piece. Whaddya think?
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I love empanadas. They're tasty, conveniently hand-held, and just a tiny bit exotic (at least from my perspective in middle-of-nowhere America). Empanadas also remind me strongly of my childhood.
My Puerto Rican father brought these tasty treats to our distinctly non-Hispanic (until he married my mom and produced little brown babies) family. They were the food of his own youth and, being a chef, he put his own special twist on them, sometimes.
I remember learning to make them with him. A memory I treasure, as it was a rare event when he let me be in the kitchen while he cooked. Unlike my brothers, who were often pinch-hitters for his absent staff in his restaurants, my sister and I were not allowed to be anything other than guests when visiting him at work. So, when he cooked in our home kitchen, a much smaller facility, he kept everyone out, especially me.
I must have been eight or nine years old, because my brothers were grown, but my second brother hadn't yet gotten married (which happened in August of my 9th year), when I got the chance to cook with my dad. In fact, I seem to recall him saying that it would be good practice for when he cooked for my brother's wedding, now I think on it. Anyway, I was fairly young and still too short to safely reach the back of the stove-top. Yet he let me come in and watch.
After washing my hands and putting on one of his long, white chef's aprons, dad looked at me very seriously from his huge, shiny brown eyes, and told me "Baby, this is no game! We're here to cook. That's business." I remember thinking I was very grown up and was about to learn a big, adult secret. So I nodded with all the gravity my young soul could gather. "Good!" And he snapped his fingers and turned to the countertop.
From there, it was all fun, happy and, at the same time, diligent work. He showed me how to use a chef's knife to dice, chop and julienne, though I got no hands-on experience that particular day. It was both fascinating and intimidating to watch his blade and hands dance across the cutting board. I remember watching intently, leaning so close, trying to memorize every stroke, that he had to stop and move me back a step for safety.
Then the dough. He would often say, when asked about his job, that he wasn't a pastry chef and he didn't bake. But he was more than merely proficient at making various types of dough-based foods. This part was fun and messy. Puffs of flour clouded the air as I used the squeaky metal sifter with a worn wooden handle painted red. I learned to break eggs with one hand and only dropped one shell into the bowl! We mixed first with our hands and then a fork. Dad avoided the mixer for this dough, he said, because it would get too stiff.
Flipping the cutting board over, he dusted it with flour and rolled out the dough. I used a butter knife and a ramekin to cut out the shells. That was fun, too. The dough was so soft in my hands as I moved them onto the baking sheet to rest that I just wanted to hold them. But, no, there was work to do.
It was time to make the filling. I got to help with this, too. My mom had taught me already how to seer hamburger, so I wasn't afraid of the stove. I stood on a low step stool in front of the range and watched carefully as the finely diced onion and garlic sweated in a small circle of oil in the skillet. I knew not to stir them, but wait for the onion to turn clear and then the edges to turn golden brown. Then we added spices: "some coom-eeee-no, some Cayenne, some salt, just a bit". Only the last three words, said in his unique accent, always sounded to my young ears, like "shoes to fit". And Cumin was always pronounced with loooooong, drawn out vowels into a word only he could pull off. Indeed, I was well into my twenties before I knew which word he was actually pronouncing! But he knew and he loved to say it his own way.
After heating the spices, we quickly browned off the beef and drained the fat. Then, standing side-by-side at the counter, we used big table spoons to fill the dough circles with the fresh beef mix. I can still conjure the heady fragrance of the peppery spices and earthy beef and my dad's aftershave. I can still see him smile at me every time I got the goop into the middle without dripping.
When the circles were full, we washed hands again and put some water in the ramekin I'd used earlier. Then, taking a fork in my right hand, dipping my left hand fingers into the water, I moistened the edge of one circle at a time, folding it in half over the beef mix and crimping with the fork. We worked in near silence, building a rhythm that made quick work of the prep.
Last came the frying. Dad didn't let me do any of this, but I stood in the doorway watching. And listening; there's nothing quite exactly the same as the sound of hot Crisco in a cast iron skillet. The hot, hissing sound that the moist dough makes as it hits the melted shortening is kind of frightening. But I loved watching my dad do this.
The kitchen was hot and his brown skin was shiny against his white t-shirt and apron. He squinted a little each time he put a new empanada into the oil, because the oil popped and sputtered. But he was at ease, focused on the task, yet comfortable talking to me about the process while he flipped each half-moon pie.
When the last one was added to the pile of golden pockets heaped on the draining rack, he turned off the stove, wiped his hands on a towel that he flipped onto his shoulder, and said "Ok, let's clean up." He had been cleaning as we went through all the steps. He explained to me that was a cardinal rule of his kitchen, so the work area would be safe at every step. Safe from hazards to us, but also safe for the food–avoiding spoiling and cross-contamination. So there wasn't much to do, but it could NOT wait until later. "The job isn't done until the kitchen is clean."
I don't remember him ever talking so much to me as he did that day. He was a quiet man, on the whole. He laughed and joked and talked, but not over-much. But he was talking directly to me that day. Kind of like he talked to other adults. I was so proud of that. Still am.
There was nothing particularly special or unusual about those empanadas. But they tasted like heaven that day. It's that day in the kitchen with my dad that makes me think of empanadas as a special occasion food. And I still love eating them whenever I get the chance.
The Runner
Day Eight: Death to Adverbs
Today's Prompt: Go to a local café, park, or public place and write a piece inspired by something you see. Get detailed: leave no nuance behind.
Today's twist: write an adverb-free post. If you'd rather not write a new post, revisit and edit a previous one: excise your adverbs and replace them with strong, precise verbs.
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I'm beginning to believe what my grandmother once said to me in fit of pique when I was 8 years old, that I'm just a "contrarian". At least as it relates to strict rules of writing and grammar. Like this exercise, removing adverbs, showing not telling. How incredibly irritating. (Yes, that's telling, not showing. I know. I get it. I don't care.) Rules that seem to have no purpose other than to be a rule and have the effect of making my written voice stilted, embroidered with unnecessary detail and old-fashioned make me want to stab something.
I've worked rather hard to keep my written voice in line with my spoken voice. I want my writing to speak in ink or pixels as my lips and vocal chords do. That means that some of the rigid grammar rules get roughed up on occasion in my writing. But at least no one can reasonably draw the conclusion from my written word that I speak like a Victorian dictionary.
And, yes, I know the maxim that you must learn and master the rules before you have license to break them. B. S.
There is a place for formal, rule-following in writing. I'm careful to do so in my professional communications and reports, analyses and opinions. But when writing of life, especially my life, I don't want people to focus on my grammar proficiency. I want folks to get my drift right away and come with me on the journey. For me, colloquial phrases, easy (if imperfect) grammar are the essential tools.
With that little temper tantrum over, however, I'll give it a shot. I may not succeed in excising all adverbs, but I'll try to show you something, rather than tell you about it.
— — — — —
I have to stop myself from chortling out loud every time I see him. But I can't keep from silent giggles when no one can see. I don't know him, don't even know his name. But I watch for him every day, smiling every time he comes into view.
Face alight with energy and concentration, he runs as if stung by angry bees from his car to the front door of the office building every day. Yet his elated jounces shout to the world: "I'm not late, just happy!" A wild shock of sandy hair flips hither and yon on his forehead with every step. Briefcase and coffee mug held out from his body to avoid bumps and spills, he gambols, seemingly care-free, despite his speed. This awkward gait doesn't make him clumsy. Indeed, I've often admired his balance over icy pavement, marveled at his arrival without a single drop spilled. Loose-jointed, rolling slightly from side to side, yet steady, he pelts across the parking lot as if treasure awaits him at his desk.
Those thirty seconds of observation every mid-morning bring me a tiny moment of levity and mystery. Why does he run? What is he thinking about with such energy? Would he mind that I think he's hilarious in his morning commute?
A few minutes investigation would likely reveal his name, department and boss. I could find him and ask him. But that would spoil the mystery, steal the tiny moment of anonymous fun from my day. Instead, I'll just keep wondering, filling in the blanks with my own wild speculation and enjoy the fun.
— — — — —
So, I was right. It's full of adverbs. I think that's what description is for me. I may never succeed at the type of fictional prose advocated by this rule of style. But I don't think I'll mourn that loss to deeply.
Phaser or Lightsaber?
Day Seven: Give and Take
Today's Prompt: Write a post based on the contrast between two things — whether people, objects, emotions, places, or something else.
So, I thought I'd do something a little more lighthearted for today's Writing 101 post. Compare and contrast essays have always seemed, to me, a little pointless and more difficult than strictly necessary. But I'll give it a go.
I'm a big sci-fi geek and one of the oddballs that have a love and appreciation for both Star Wars and Star Trek. I see them as entirely separate and not really apples-to-apples material. But there are aspects of the two universes that have parallels, sufficient similarities, that might lend themselves to such an analysis. They both have aliens, space ships, technology and weapons, all of which might be compared and contrasted endlessly. In fact, that has happened many times over in books, magazines and in countless online forums and blogs and communities.
For lots of reasons, I think most of these are too hard for a short, light, musing post. Suffice to say that there's too much danger of getting lost in the sands of Tatooine or in Vulcan's desert Forge to try to compare the two universes and their major attributes.
Instead, I'm going to pick something relatively easy: handheld weapons. Specifically, let's look at Phasers (Star Trek) and Lightsabers (Star Wars).
First, as a jumping off point, let's assume that both weapons can exist, can function as expected and can be obtained in our physical universe. That'll let us all enter into the exploration without fear of the sand-bag argument that "it can't exist in our reality " or that "the laws of physics won't allow it to work that way". Both arguments may be true (dammit Jim, I'm a lawyer, not a physicist), but we're going to suspend that particular disbelief for the moment in favor of the assumed reality of these weapons.
Second, this isn't a treatise or academic paper, so I'm not going to cite reference materials exactly or provide a bibliography or other listing of source materials. This is supposed to be fun, not work. If you want to dig through the Internet for the precise canon references, I'll gladly read what you have to say in the comments. The most I'm going promise is that I'll try to point you in the general direction of where you might find more information on a particular point, if you're curious or think I'm off my rocker.
Finally, I'm going to assume that if you've read this far, you have at least a basic understanding of each of these fictional universes and know enough about each franchise to follow my references. So I'm not going to spend a lot of time explaining who/what I'm talking about.
So, now that the preliminaries are out of the way and you're free to choose, what's it gonna be, Phaser or Lightsaber? Let's take a closer look at them, shall we?
Phaser. From all observations in the TV and movie canon, Federation Phasers come in a variety of models, from pistol to rifle, even ship-mounted, but all have some basic characteristics in common. For one, they are referred to (at least in later movies, if not the TV series) as particle weapons, sometimes multi-phasic particle weapons, but appear to use coherent light energy. Perhaps the particles are photons, I don't know, but in any event all Federation Phasers appear to deliver the weapon's blow by means of a beam of light fired at the target, like a bullet.
Lightsaber. Light is also the means of delivery for the Lightsaber. Indeed, light is central to both its name and its function. However, rather than a projectile of light, the Lightsaber relies on a coherent beam of light generated from and affixed to a sword handle and wielded just like a traditional sword blade. All of the Star Wars movies and many of the vast number of Star Wars universe novels allude to the Lightsaber's ability to cauterize the wound inflicted by the weapon, suggesting the blade of light also employs heat (or maybe that's a waste product of the light). This attribute may make the Lightsaber a cleaner weapon in that respect than the Phaser, as I have no recollection of canonical reference to a Phaser cauterizing at kill setting. However, the Phaser's stun setting doesn't appear in TV or movie canon to leave a wound, so it may be a draw on the 'clean' factor.
Phaser. Speaking of settings, Federation Phasers appear in both the movies and TV shows to have adjustable energy outputs, giving them the ability to pack lethal and non-lethal potential in a single weapon. Also, the frequency and phase in which the weapon operates to deliver a blast are also adjustable, which comes in handy when your enemy has the ability to adapt to the energy of your weapon (*cough* Borg *cough*).
Lightsaber. The blade of light, however, does not appear to have that facility. Like table saws, Lightsabers are on or off, and when on they work as advertised. So those who wield them must have a great deal of respect for their power. However, since those who wield them, in the canon universe at least, also make them as a test of their knowledge and skill in the Force, it would stand to reason that any given Lightsaber's maker would know better than most the potential lethality of the weapon.
Phaser. But lethality isn't the only measure of a weapon's utility. Defense, obviously, is also important. Versatility in its usefulness to both attack and defend are the Phaser's hallmarks. Allowing close quarters and long-range precision gives the shooter many more options for dispute resolution and escape. However, beyond conventional defense and attack, movie and TV canon shows that the Phaser has an additional dimension of versatility. Phasers have been used to weld, drill, and, in a pinch, act as improvised explosives. These functions make it a feasible tool for peace-time as well as military operations.
Lightsaber. Let's be honest, the Lightsaber is a niche weapon. Though non-Force-users may be able to use the weapon at a gross level (see Han Solo and the Tauntaun on Hoth, which was gross), to use a Lightsaber at its full potential, you have to have some Force proficiency. Given that ability, though, the Lightsaber's utility as both offensive and defensive weapon is unmatched. A proficient swordsman can weave a cage of light around himself and another person to deflect all manner of incoming danger, or use it to precisely excise an offender's weapon hand. But, because of the length of the blade and its lack of adjustable output, it is ill suited for the type of unconventional peace-time utility that the Phaser displays. Lightsabers are nevertheless useful for non-traditional defensive tasks, such as melting the blast doors on a Trade Union ship in which the Viceroy is attempting to kill you by poison gas, to provide a means of egress. Still, you aren't likely to choose a Lightsaber first when looking for an energy-based addition to a toolkit for non-combat purposes.
Phaser. And what about the esoteric qualities of these weapons? The aesthetic appeal of the Phaser isn't anything to write home about, in my opinion. It's rather utilitarian in design and fairly uniform and mass-produced in appearance. Phasers do make a distinctive sound when fired and have the added benefit of being fairly easy to conceal, at least in the handheld variety. But, honestly, beyond the fact that's it's a "ray gun", a Phaser just doesn't have all that high of a "cool" factor.
Lightsaber. Not so the Jedi laser sword. It has cool in its DNA. From its iconic, inimitable sound, both upon ignition and in use, to its hand-made, one of a kind design, the Lightsaber is the ultimate in weapon chic. Whatever it may lack in the way of non-weapon utility, it more than makes up for in mystique and street cred.
From my point of view, it's not a contest. If I had the choice to own a Phaser or Lightsaber of my very own, it's got to be Lightsaber every time.


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Nicole Ray
Born: November 4th 1989 / Scorpio
Birth Place: Illinois, US United States
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Height: 5ft 2in
Breast Size: 34C
Typical Hair Color: Brunette
Eye Color: Brown
Piercings: Right nostril, navel, tongue, left eyebrow
Submit/Correct Star Bio
Nicole Ray's Porn Star Biography
Born and raised in Illinois, mid-western girl Nicole Ray made her porn debut in 2008 when she was 19 years old. Her mix of girl-next-door cuteness, coupled with her natural C cups, made it easy for her to get cast in one film after another. Since her debut, Ray has gone on to appear in close to 200 titles, working for some of the industry's most well known studios, such as Hustler Video, Adam & Eve, Mile High, Kick Ass Pictures, and many more.
Niches and Notable Films
Before Ray performed in her first adult film, she was working as a stripper at the Spearmint Rhino, where she continues to perform when she's not on set for a movie. Her first year in the industry had her working in a wide array of niches, including hardcore, lesbian, threesomes, and internal. She possesses the ability to perform the teenage hottie parts, as well as the more sophisticated roles, as can be seen in Always And Forever from Wicked Pictures. Put her in pigtails and she's a naughty schoolgirl, as in First String from Innocenthigh.com. Dress her in a Victorian costume and she's a young beauty exploring her sexuality in Lesbian Adventures: Victorian Love Letters from Sweetheart Video.
Squirting and Traveling
In 2011, just 3 years into her career, Ray decided to take a break. Known for being one of the most reliable young performers in the biz, industry execs were stunned to see her leave. Known too for her ability to squirt, as seen in Sporty Girls 2 (Elegant Angel) and Pretty Titties (818XXX), Ray truly left at the height of her popularity. She decided to take some time away from doing porn in order to travel and see the world. Fans may not have known Ray took a break, as she still has "new" scenes coming out - but these are all scenes she shot before she decided to take a break; scenes that studios hold onto for just the right moment to release. It's unclear whether this petite blonde will make her way back to porn, but fans wait with anticipation for her return.
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In Love With Your Mom (Disc 2)
Release Year: 2019
Sweetheart is proud to present "In Love With Your Mom" featuring the most stunning . . .
Stars: Aiden Starr, Claire Robbins, Darla Crane, Deauxma, Lena Paul, More...Studio: Sweetheart Video
Foot Therapy 4
Release Year: 2018
Toe sucking and foot jobs abound when these guys are focused on the dainty cute. . .
Stars: Jenny Manson, Nicole Ray, Sicilia (i), Vanda Lust , Barry Scott, More...Studio: Bizarre Video
3Somes - It's A Girlfriend's Thing
Release Year: 2019
These horny lesbians just wanna have some fun! They are into exploring wet lips and . . .
Stars: Alex Grey, Alice Lighthouse, Ashley Adams, Ashlyn Rae, Bree Daniels, More...Studio: Girlfriends Films
Jack's POV 14
Release Year: 2009
With its unique camera work, Jack's POV 14 brings you into the action and doesn't . . .
Strict Machine
Release Year: 2010
Digital Playground's very own contract star Riley Steele™ plays the head mistress . . .
The Winner Takes Them All
Sex games are generally fun, no? Twister, Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle - these . . .
Stars: Lulu, Marie McCray, Misty Mild, Nicole Ray, Evan, More...Studio: Group Sex Games
Hot Bush Volume 2
Release Year: 2009
See for yourself if the curtains match the drapes. From the landing strip to the. . .
Stars: Ashley Blue, Bobbi Starr, Kimberly Kane, Kristina Rose, Layla Rivera, More...Studio: Reality Kings
Fit For Sex
Release Year: 2017
Get ready for the ultimate workout! Nicole Ray and her friends can't wait to push . . .
Stars: Alexa Nicole, Alexis Ford, Alyssa Branch, Amia Miley, Andy San Dimas, More...Studio: Adam & Eve
Riley Steele - Honey
Release Year: 2010
"Riley Steele Honey" showcases Digital Playground's contract super star Riley Steele™ . . .
Stars: Allyssa Hall, Nicole Ray, Riley Steele, Danny Mountain, Evan Stone, More...Studio: Digital Playground
Classroom Confessions
Release Year: 2013
Little teenies get so bored in school, while their brains are occupied with the real . . .
Stars: Jayden Pierson, Julia Bond, Lilly Kingston, Nicole Ray, Taylor Tilden, More...Studio: Exquisite Multimedia
Lucky Soles 1
Are you tired of watching porn that sticks to the same format? You know blowjob, . . .
Stars: Jenny Hendrix, Jesse Jordan, Nicole Ray, Taylor Daye, Barry Scott, More...Studio: Bizarre Video
Laid In America
Release Year: 2016
Laid In America is as patriotic as you can get! America is the land of opportunity . . .
Stars: April O'Neil, Kacy Lane, Lola Foxx, Lucie Black, Nicole Ray, More...Studio: Hustler


text:
For use with TSW Club 2010+ Models Only. New spring base and larger adapter for optimal support! Includes (1) Sand Bag for severe wind areas.
Easily transport with two rear wheels.
Fill with sand or cement for added weight. Large hole with cap for easy filling.
*Soccer Wall Pole and Body not included.
Warranty Information
90 Day Manufacturer WarrantyView AllClose


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The madness of the finish and Hideki Matsuyama's maiden victory at the Memorial Tournament overshadowed a fairly significant development.
Keegan Bradley, who became the first player to win a major with an anchored putter in the 2011 PGA Championship, switched to a shorter-handled version at Muirfield Village.
It was on the advice of his mother apparently. But does mum know best?
With the ban coming into force in 2016 surely all those who favour the soon-to-be-outlawed putting method will be following suit in the near future?
Adam Scott has relied on his broom-handled Scotty Cameron to become one of the best putters on the PGA Tour over the past few years.
He was won his first major and made it to the top of the world rankings.
The Australian, who turns 34 next month, isn't getting any younger and is in the form of his life.
Before the anchored putting ban is introduced, Scott, in theory, has the opportunity to win seven more majors.
Why would he change anything until he has to?
He no doubt already has and can continue to practice behind closed doors until January 2016. Why would he go into battle before then without his trust weapon of choice?
Bradley has fallen from the top 10 to 25th in the Official World Golf Rankings The case of Bradley is a different one.
It was a watershed moment when Bradley triumphed at Atlanta Athletic Club as a fresh-faced 24-year-old. But the dominance of the anchored putter did not follow as some predicted.
Three years on and Bradley has managed just the one victory which came at the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone invitational.
He has fallen from the top 10 to 25th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
The putter Bradley opted for at Muirfield Village was a counter-balanced 'almost-belly' version. The end of the grip sits just a couple of inches away from the gut. The technology has been developed to give the same feel.
It wasn't that much of a drastic change and an opening round 67 proved it wasn't hampering his progress. He fell away during the weekend but that was more indicative of his patchy recent form than a change in putter.
When the time comes, Scott will surely have to adopt a completely new putting method but I'd be very surprised if we see it before 2016.
He'd have to suffer a huge dip in form – or get a phone call from his mother.


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Just in case you're new to this part of the blogosphere, let's start with Feline Friday.
Every Friday, my sissy, brother or I host a little linky party, called Feline Friday, just for us kittehs. We have furrrriends who stop by often and some we haven't seen in a while…it's always fun to see what they've been up to!
We also have HeLP for Hexie-aholics on the 17th of every month. Why the 17th you ask? Cuz it's Momma's birthday and hexies are her favoritist thing in the whole world. Some of her furriends even made her Head Troublemaker she likes hexies so much. Momma likes her furriends to share their projects, both new and old of any shape or construction method at this linky party.
And then there is the World Wide Blog Hop. Have you seen it? All those humans were posting about their creativeness when Sally from The Objects of Design wondered why there were no cats involved?! I mean we do rule the 'net, don't we?! She invited me to join and I immediately said yes. I did wait until a Friday to post tho…I am a Feline Friday Gal!! LOL!
So let's get to the hop questions…
Do you mean besides my tan and a good nap? You're funny!
2. How does my work differ from others of it's genre?
I think Sally said it best: "Squeaky seems to enjoy a scrappy colorful look yet has a somewhat hidden modern edge balancing a lot of white with lots of colors. Very trendy! "
3. Why do I create what I do?
Really, I just like to support Momma in her work. She creates such pretty stuff and I cover it with my furs to protect it! Momma is still working on this fussy cutting project for her hexie club where she is head troublemaker. I don't think I have enough furs on it yet so that is my project for the weekend!
4. How does my creative process work?
I just look around for something to do. Sometimes there are hexies to furr, sometimes I need a good stretch and sometimes there is a new cobeweb to explore.
And what is the bestest part of a blog hop? Finding new places to explore of course!! I'm still working on finding more links for you but lets start with Leia. She's misunderstood cuz she has beautiful furs but lives in a house with an increasing number of little people which can make her a teeny weeny cranky. I can understand - in fact, I run and hide when Momma's nephews come over.
Ok my furriends - it's time to share on this special day. We only going to have one linky party for both HeLP and Feline Friday so please link up your hexie projects and your felines!!!


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Students and staff at Western High School Friday morning honored the lives of 14 graduates who died while fighting in uniform, as well as all veterans, with a somber outdoor remembrance.
"It was a way to honor them, but as important, it's a way to teach the kids about that sacrifice and what that really means to them personally and to us as a country," Assistant Principal Robert Jaurequi said.
Some 2,000 students gathered quietly in the main quad after their fourth period class where JROTC cadets stood in military stance near the school band and choir.
JROTC teacher Lt. Col. Jerry W. Pearce spoke candidly to the students about the ultimate price paid by those who choose to serve.
"There is arguably no greater sacrifice we can make than to die for another," he said.
Western Senior Soledad Ramos, 18, said the memorial struck a cord when she began to think of the freedoms she feels most people take for granted.
"It got kind of touching for me, it was something special," Ramos said. "We see how people served our county and for us to be free and have all the rights that we have."
The early Memorial Day event was started nine years ago as a way to honor the memories of Western graduates who have been killed in action. Most of the fallen fought and died in Vietnam, with the most recent being in Iraq – Army Pfc. Raymond L. Henry died in Iraq in 2006 when a roadside bomb exploded near his armored vehicle while on patrol. He graduated from Western in 2003.
Toward the back of the quad hung photos of the Western grads and images of veterans brought by students and staff to showcase were posted near a hallway.
The school choir gave a rendition of "America the Beautiful" and each of the 14 heroes' names were called out with the ring of a bell after the placing of an honorary wreath.
Jaurequi said students should be made aware of the significance of Memorial Day and their responsibilities as the next generation of Americans.
"I think sometimes it escapes them," he said. "It (alum photos) makes it real instead of just maybe a three-day weekend."
Vietnam War veteran Larry Koon, 70, looking at the photos of other veterans, said it was nice to see so many students participate. This was his second year coming to the ceremony.
"It's an uplift," Koon said. "It does bring tears to your eyes."
Contact the writer: 714-704-3794 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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The photo above shows you the set up i have in New York, yes i am a squatter in my mother's house, just not enough space for my huge 20 quart OMCAN commercial mixer and baking rack. I guess i forgot for awhile that i was not in Manila anymore so i just clicked and clicked the button, eh voila! When the mixer arrived i was shock at the enormity of its size. Uh oh! Lagot ako kay Mama, where will i put this thing?
So after talking to my sister, they assigned me this tiny corner, i know most of you probably have a similar problem but there is always a way to work around it. I am tiny, so no problem fitting in between the cracks, i pull out the baking rack when i need more space, i do some prep work in the kitchen table, and for large batch baking, i set up another table in the kitchen. Not much you can do, if you really love to bake, you will make a way.
My set up in Fairview is much more relaxed, plenty of space to go to and move around (i just wish my nephew's pigeons won't interfere since i bake outside). I placed my 4 sheeter ouside the tiled and roofed garage area. This large oven when at its work diffuses an aroma to the whole subdivision no printed banner can do. Sell breads. The ventilation is perfect, i don't have to worry about dehydrating during summer and the heat of the roof is perfect for my proofing.
Plan your bakery set-up really well. My weighing area/prep work is done in a cinch because i do not hop around the house looking for my scoop, or teaspoon, sieve, strainer, iodized salt etc., because they are all in the same area. That is near the table where i am working. Less strain on my feet, less stress on my brain.
Have a table to do your prep work, rounding, slicing, filling, rolling. A rack to do your proofing, or cooling (mine serves as both), you can place the proofing dough on top, then the finished breads at the bottom.
more updates coming up....


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New York City finally embraces taxi apps, come what may
Sloughing off industry concerns, New York City's taxi commission said today that it plans to take steps to allow taxi-hailing apps in the city.
"The Commission is of the view that these services—if provided in a manner that does not result in distracted driving, if they do not adversely impact the street hail service which is the core function of the yellow taxi system, and if they provide the Commission with the same transparency into trip data as is currently available—should be permitted and we will pursue rulemaking to permit them," said Ashwini Chhabra, the Taxi and Limousine Commission's deputy commissioner for policy and planning, in written testimony before the City Council on Wednesday.
It was the commission's least equivocal statement of support to date for integrating taxi apps into the city's livery system.
At the moment, several smartphone apps designed to connect riders to drivers, like Hailo and GetTaxi, are poised to get into the New York City market.
They have been held up in New York, among other things, by one seemingly simple but really quite controversial question: What is a street hail? And does requesting a taxi via smartphone represent a modern-day wave of the hand or does it represent prearranged service?
If a smartphone app is just a hail by other means, then it's legal for yellow cabs to respond to them. If it's prearranged service, an industry sector reserved for livery and black car services, then it is not.
In the written testimony Chhabra submitted to a City Council hearing that focussed, in part, on taxi apps, he roundly embraced the technology, arguing that, from a customer service perspective, apps could be helpful.
"They may assist passengers late at night when there are fewer taxis cruising, or may help passengers who are a few blocks away from a main thoroughfare to extend the reach of their hail," he said. "They may also serve to reduce driver reluctance to take trips out of Manhattan, if drivers think these apps can provide them with a greater prospect of finding a passenger for the return trip."
He said, for drivers, apps could prove a boon, too.
"[D]ata suggest that taxi drivers spend a significant portion of their shifts cruising for fares, which is an inefficient use of both time and fuel," he said. "Even if these apps result in only one or two more trips per shift for a driver, this could have a material positive impact on driver earnings and could increase the efficiency of the taxi fleet."
The Taxi Workers Alliance, the closest thing taxi drivers have to a union, worries that the apps will levy extra fees on drivers who can ill afford them.
"The regulations should specify that drivers shouldn't have to pay a fee for this," said Bhairavi Desai, the alliance's executive director.
The livery industry has other concerns.
If passengers can "hail" cabs using their smartphones, then what possible use could they have for livery car businesses that explicitly exist to provide prearranged service?
"We do believe the bases downtown will be the most affected if the yellow industry [is allowed] to do prearranged, versus just the street hail," said Cira Angeles, a livery base owner.
To which the Taxi and Limousine Commission says: the customer comes first.
"Arguably, some of that business may be affected if we make it easier for these passengers to hail taxis," said Chhabra, speaking generally of the livery and black car sectors. "That is a consideration, but it cannot be our overriding consideration."
One industry group recently argued that allowing taxi apps will undermine the street hail entirely, favoring smartphone-owners over those who don't have them, and sending the city back to a time when hailable cabs were more difficult to find.
Certainly, the Bloomberg administration does seem to be veering back in the direction of what's known in the industry as a "dual-use" system, one that allows all drivers to both pick up hails off the street and offer prearranged service.
The city's borough taxi plan, now held up in litigation, would allow up to 18,000 livery car drivers in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan to offer both prearranged and street hail service.
Taxi apps, meanwhile, would enable yellow cab drivers to offer something akin to prearranged service, something they haven't been able to do in the '80s.
Taxi historian Graham Hodges, a professor at Colgate University, wonders whether some of the same issues that cropped up back then, like discrimination against black riders and general taxi unavailability, will start to re-emerge.
"Sometimes it's very hard to get a taxi," he said. "And if they're all prearranged, then you're really out of luck."
How the Taxi and Limousine Commission plans to deal with these, and other concerns, should become more apparent as it embarks on what Chhabra described, in his testimony, as an "expedited" rulemaking process.
"We will solicit the input of each of our regulated industries, passengers, technology providers and the Council in that process," said Chhabra. "And in the course of those conversations, no doubt, other concerns will come to the surface and we will address them together and in a constructive way."