Make Your Holiday Count This Year

Over the years I have seen stores that would close down for days to celebrate holidays.  Not every holiday, but the ones that people travel to visit distant relatives and keep the spirit of family alive.  Nowadays, things have gone too commercial.  I understand that in today's world, that everyone doesn't share the same values in celebrating holidays.  Some people don't celebrate any holidays.  The point that I am going for is that I live in the United States.  I live and work based on our calendar.  I have grown up and founded my own traditions based on the holidays on that calendar.  So, if I expect certain for myself, then I think others should be able to do the same, and whether they do or not is solely up to their discretion.

The first sign that stores care nothing about anyone and that money is the sole purpose is the placement of seasonal items.  This year, our local big-box store was placing Christmas items on display...before Halloween.  Quit shoving seasonal merchandise in my face two seasons early.  Secondly, the advancement of "Black Friday".  Growing up, stores would open up early the day after Thanksgiving with big, but limited, specials to encourage sales.  Also, it would help out the numbers for their final quarter of the year to help show a profit.  To a point, that doesn't bother me.  The point that it seems inappropriate is when people go out and fight over minuscule and trivial things they don't really need.  "I want this for my kid!" "My wife needs this more!" So on and so forth. Guilt lies on both parties in this situation, but that adds to my point.  Stores should not limit quantities and encourage such behavior.  On the other hand people should plain out know better.  Less than 24 hours ago this person was telling their family what they were thankful for, and now they are fighting of some sort of greed burning inside for something they want.

The commercialism doesn't just affect people on the outside.  It is now taking family out of the equation.  This goes to the families that are missing a Mom or Dad during a family get together because they have to work.  "Black Friday" sales are now starting in a lot of places on Thanksgiving evening.  That means someone is cutting family time short to go service people who also cut family time short to go fight over a *sale*.  Who wins?  The store.  Labor costs may go up, but sales will win every time.  That is, unless I can pass my influence on to anyone else.

I want to be the one responsible for teaching businesses a lesson.  First of all, we don't need any special deal.  We quite frankly don't need to buy anything out of the ordinary.  The main purpose of the holidays are to spend time with your loved ones, regardless or religion or belief.  We don't need to rack up debt and overspend on unnecessary things to show we love someone.  That is purely a *want*.  If you want to show someone you love them, give them something they can't buy.  Your time and affection.  Once you're gone, they can't buy that.  Will your kids remember that football you got them or will they remember "Daddy was always there to play football with me after Thanksgiving dinner."  If I can be the person that can get people to stay at home with their families and build value with their loved ones instead of the value of a stores bank account, that would be the best present I could ever get.  

I'm not against business.  People have to make a living somehow.  That's not what I'm trying to change.  I feel business is overstepping it's boundaries and stripping away the morals and foundation of families everywhere.  I want to motivate people to empower themselves.  The only way that one person can make a change is to have the help of others.  If we can stand together and take back family holidays, we can stand together and make the country a better place for our future generations.  But one person can't do it alone.

If you agree with the message I'm trying to get across, please help me share this and spread the message please click the link below.  The link will open a pre-filled tweet with the following information:

Take your family back.  <Link to this blog> #KeepingFamilyFirst

If you want to share to other networks or different networks there are buttons directly below this article.  My goal is to get this message to as many people as possible and hopefully encourage and motivate people to take back what they deserve.

Here's the link the share on Twitter :Share on Twitter

Remember to do something good for someone other than yourself, Pay It Forward.

How to pick the right guy for your Daughter.

This post is for all the Dads out there that are active participants in their Daughter's life.  The title may seem a little misleading but after you read this you will see the total truth of it.  So, in a free nation, how can you decide who is going to be the right guy to be with your Daughter?  Well, it's a little give and take, but you're not really picking the guy, you are influencing your daughter to make a better choice for herself.  That may seem a little vague so I'll explain it a little further.

My life experience has been that women that have an active male figure in their life, whether good or bad use that person when seeking out a partner.  If she has a good relationship with her father/male figure then more than likely she will base her decision of partner against him.  If that partner measures up or has similar properties, then there is a greater chance that she will pursue that partner.  This isn't ALWAYS the case, and I want to make it clear this isn't an *end-all* guide to make your Daughter marry Prince Charming.  

Here's a little food for thought.  Let's say that you are a pretty good Dad. You eat together, play at the park a few times a year, and watch TV together.  You probably have a good bond with your Daughter.  Now, drop the idea of having a "man-card" and try to find out something that truly interests her.  Mine like cooking and crafts.  If you can swallow your man-pride long enough to learn a few crafts that you can sit with her and talk about while doing them, you just increased your bond even further.  She will more than likely see that the guy who was already Superman in her eyes, drop his shield and go the extra step to be involved with her.  I have taken on many different crafting styles and will involve my girls when I can.  And if they say something out in public I don't cower down because it's something "girly".  I can stand by her and take pride in the fact that she's proud of what I've done.  If they ever ask why I do things that other men can't or won't do, I plan on telling them this: "Men can Bar-B-Que, work on cars, fix things around the house, mow the yard and work in the garden.  REAL men can do anything.".  Anytime I can do something that will make my girls want to tell the world, I know I am doing my job and making them proud, and that gives me the greatest feeling in the world.

Learning how to sew, crochet, or even cook so you can pass that along to your own girls isn't cashing in your *Man-Card*.  Your just ensuring that the guy who wants her later has an *Upgraded Man-Card* that compares to yours.  And that Sir, is how you pick the right guy for your Daughter.Don't tell her who to pick, set the bar so high that only the right ones can meet her expectations.

What to take away from this:

Don't be ashamed to learn something new.  Moms aren't the only ones who can teach their girls.  Teaching should be a dual-parent responsibility.  This won't apply to everyone, but it should apply to the majority, take it for what it's worth.

And as always be sure to do something for someone other than yourself.  Pay It Forward.

Save Some Money ($25) on Your Wireless Bill

Okay.  I've been searching each and every major phone carrier trying to see which one is not out to completely rob me blind.  I had narrowed down my choice to a single carrier based on service in my area, plan services/features, and cost.  Without naming any names, I almost went with a company that has a large "T" in their name, and they deal with most "mobile" devices.  Unlimited talk, text and 4G web with hotspot (even though the speed gets throttled down after certain usage based on your plan) was pretty fairly priced for a family plan.  I went through their site, picked some modest smartphones that were on sale, chose my plan options, and was ready to checkout.  While trying to complete the checkout process, they required a hefty deposit to start service.  I could secure phone service for several months just for what they wanted for a deposit.  So back to square one.

I was watching one of my favorite YouTube personalities who had in fact had their show sponsored by an online service that appeared to offer very affordable wireless service.  I wanted to check into it because I never heard of them before, but had a preconceived notion that I wouldn't try it because they weren't a major carrier and didn't want the headache.  Come to find out that they use one of the major carriers services.  Then comes the part where I had already dealt with that carrier before and didn't like them, but I tried to keep an open mind.

Here's a photo of how the plans work, and I'll explain more below:

As you can see, the left hand side breaks it down into Minutes, Texts, and Data.  The different levels are across the top and the prices line up under what you selected.  So this plan shows 500 mins. ($9) + 100 texts ($3) and 500 Mb ($13) which as you can see comes up to $31+ surcharges ($32.50 altogether in NC).  The first thing that came to mind is what if I go over my choice, do I have to pay per unit thereafter, does my service stop, or is there an overage fee of some sort.  After further investigation, they just move whatever section you went over in to the next level up for that month and then make up the difference.  On the other hand if you didn't use enough in one area to meet the level you chose, they would move you down a level and credit your account.

For example, this picture shows 500 minutes picked for the current month. if I used 600 minutes, they would move just my minutes up to the 1000 minute level for that month and charge the difference.  If I had only used 90 minutes though, they would have dropped me down to the 100 minute level and issue a credit towards they next month.  Each section works the same way.  

You can also set alerts for yourself, so that when you get close to one of the thresholds, you are prepared for the extra charges for going over, OR, you can set the service to stop that feature altogether to control your costs.  You do get control of that, which was another selling point for me.

So, I liked how each section was separated from the others and not bundled.  I also think the way they handle the overages and under-usage costs/credits.  And being able to go online and check your dashboard in nearly real time to see where you stand for the month was a plus.  The selling point for me though was the cost of the first month.  

You can purchase new and used phones directly on the site, and for the most part they are reasonable.  There were only 2 or 3 phones that are considered "top-end" that I felt were a little pricey, but maybe that's just my broke viewpoint.  You can use a phone that you already have as long as it is a Sprint phone.  You can't use Boost, or any of the PTT (Push To Talk) phones.  If you aren't sure you can enter the phone ESN/MEID numbers on the site and it will let you know.

I already had an old Nexus S 4G so I gave it a go.  Worst case scenario is I get to use a phone for a month and it costs me a little over $30.  Or so I thought.  It took about 15-20 minutes to enter my information and get things going. (The Nexus S 4G and the Galaxy Nexus both require a few extra programming steps on your side, but they give you a step by step walk-through that ANYONE can follow.  You do need the MSL number which is emailed to you after you confirm activation.)  So I followed through, and saw there is no activation fee, and since I used the link from the YouTube personality, I reduced my first bill an additional $25.  So my first bill was $6 and change, since I already had a phone.  It is a prepaid service, but for $6, I'll give it a fair try.  

One thing to note about the link that I used to save the $25.  It isn't just for service credit.  It also can be used for device purchase too.  So it can be used to purchase a phone, a mobile hotspot, or applied to your service plan.

Since I mentioned the mobile hotspot above, if you use a smartphone with a mobile hotspot feature, there is NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE to use it with this service. But it does count towards you data usage.  Most carriers offer this feature for about $15-$45 last time I checked, and that's in addition to your data charges.

I've been tinkering with the new service for a few hours as of this post and it is working just fine.  I'll try to do a follow up around the end of April (2013) and disclose anything I missed, liked, or didn't like.

If you're in the process of looking for service and want to give this a try, I can pass the same $25 discount on to you to use towards your service or purchase.  I was glad to get a discount, and I figure other people might as well.  

$25 Discount Towards Service or Purchase.

I honestly feel that I may have found a decent service.  I hope that someone else out there traveling the "Interwebs" can find the same sense of use.  If anyone else out there tries this or currently has this please let us know below.  If you used this and didn't like it, please make it known below and why you didn't like it.  I'm always open to other peoples point of view.

As always, remember to do something for someone other than yourself and, Pay It Forward.

My Little Frog

The picture above is of an ultrasound of our baby at about 7 weeks.  While we, my wife and I, were watching the screen we both thought the same thing.  The baby's shape looked like a sitting frog.  Therefore we nick-named the baby, "Frog".  I couldn't wait to scan the picture into the computer and trace it out and share it with others to show my new bundle of joy off to my friends and family.  And for anyone that thinks the other little spot is ANOTHER baby, it's not.  It's the yolk sack, we double checked.

Like with our other children together, we started planning out how things would change, and so forth.  We would spend a few extra minutes in the baby section when we were getting clothes or diapers for our other little ones, and think about whether it would be a boy or girl, and what kind of outfits we wanted to get.  Bringing a life into this world seems to have an effect on the mind that makes some people constantly visualize the future with an imaginary child sitting in the buggy instead of a bump on your wife's/girlfriend's belly.

Sad to say, we lost our little Frog 12/30/2012.  That was the first time I had seen an ultrasound and no movement or anything.  My world dropped off in that very moment.  What seemed to make it worse for both my wife an I, was the doctor sent her home, and made her get a second ultrasound the next day, and then proceeded to remove the lifeless child from her.  The day was New Year's Eve.  It seemed like everyone that day could only say, "Sorry for your loss, Happy New Year."  For that very reason I will disable comments on this post.  I'm not posting this for any sympathy or feedback.  I mentioned in an earlier post that this is the start of something that I intend to pass on to my other children to give them a little more insight into some of the things that they may not understand now.  This isn't our first child that we lost.  This was my second and her third loss.  We have our ways of dealing with it and aren't looking for any outside help.

I look at it from a natural point of view.  I have raised and even hatched my own chicks before.  I have seen eggs fully mature as expected and then a few days before they should start pipping (breaking from the shell) a blood-ring appears, meaning that the chick died.  If it was close enough to have a somewhat formed chick in the egg, I would open it to see what happened.  The most common occurrence I saw was a malformed chick, which wouldn't have survived long if it had hatched on schedule.  With that in mind, I can look back and find some peace knowing that the child didn't have to suffer, and that we wouldn't have to watch it suffer and then have to mourn even longer for a child that we have actually held and started the entire bonding process.  That may seem somewhat selfish, but it's the truth.  All in all, I don't want any living thing to suffer, and I wish everything was always perfect, but it's not.  That's just how it is.  I don't have to like it, but I can accept it.

I know a lot of my posts have been, from what I recall just sitting here, upbeat, positive, or just plain food oriented.  This may be a sad time in my life, but I will carry on.  So, I want to end this in a positive way.

Things in life don't always turn out how you want them.  That doesn't mean everything stops.  It might slow you down, or even stop you cold in your tracks for a moment, but you still have to pick up and drive on.  Handle each and every obstacle fully and move on.  Don't let it make you a cold and heartless person either. Everyone goes through down times.  Some people even feel at times that it will never end, but it will.  The only thing I have ever found that will keep a person down is themselves.  For every excuse you make to not be happy, is a lost opportunity to find a way to move on and be happier.

I hope that this finds the right person and lifts their spirits enough to keep on trying.  Don't give up.

One of the best way to feel better about yourself, and help someone else, might just be doing something good for someone other than yourself.  Pay it Forward.

Another Year in the Books

Today, technically yesterday because I haven't been to bed yet, I celebrated my 32nd birthday. What better time to reflect on your life than when your celebrating it, right?

First off, I want to make mention of the people that are no longer with us. I won't make a list or mention names, because there are probably some that I would forget unintentionally. There are quite a few people I have met over the years and even shared part of my growing up with that are no longer here. I don't just mean family, but friends and acquaintances that I feel have passed before there time. Whether they were good or bad people, they still had some impact on my life, and most of them shall be missed.

Next, I will move on to the people that aren't here yet. Huh? Well, person, more so than people. I'm sure there are more people that I will meet through the rest of my time here, but there is only one that I am waiting for right now. I'm about 9 weeks into being a Daddy again. I'm so excited. I can't wait to meet him/her.

I was spending some time with my wife tonight when my best friend called to wish me a happy birthday. We usually talk for lengths of time and ply catch up on what's been going on in our lives. There's usually a portion of our conversations dedicated to reflecting on the past. Mostly about drunken escapades and basic tomfoolery while growing being young and free. I've been told that people would probably pay to listen to us talk because it would be so funny at times while remaining witty and intelligent. A majority of our talks end up being philosophical at times as we analyse our past and think about the future. I find it very therapeutic to have someone on the same wavelength that doesn't take offense to the truth, which I hope is given in return. I tend to drift off in thought about how things were just mere years ago, and how much has changed. How much I have changed myself. I was barely driving and helping babysit my little cousins when I swore I would never have kids of my own. Now I have a growing family of 7 (in July 2013). I think of past careers and compare myself to teenagers I see working today. I recall every stupid thing I can remember and just take a moment to rejoice that I made it 32 years, and that I learned my lessons thoroughly enough to make it even further. I look back at anything good that I have done or tried to do, and smile knowing that I tried to make things a little better where I could. I try to hold on to the inspirations I see in so many ways, like the entire reason I started this blog. I read a blog entry about "Baby Avery" whose parents documented her time on Earth in a blog which they still run and update even after their child's passing due to SMA. It reached out to me and inspired me to do something. I don't really know how helpful this is to anyone, unless they are using the few recipes I put on here, but it makes me happy and content, so I will continue doing it. If anything, whoever reads my entries to the end will always see the phrase, "Pay it Forward". I know I didn't create the phrase, but it is something I believe in and wish to pass on and maybe inspire someone else to do some good.

Now, on to the future. To be completely honest, no one knows what the future holds in store for us. I know I have sat here and written a little bit about my past and present. I had full intention of writing about my future. But the fact remains that dwelling on the past and hoping on the future only does one thing. It takes you focus off now. I'm not saying to forget everything you've ever done. I'm not saying that it's wrong to dream. Know where you came from and focus on what you're doing, and you'll end up where you're supposed to be. Learn from your mistakes and dream big. Keep your mind on what's going on right now because that's all you really have is right now. One second at a time. Grasp it. Cherish it. Own it.

And while you taking control of your own destiny, do something good for someone else along the way. Pay It Forward.

Taking a Break...Kind of

I have been trying to write on here as much as possible in my spare time.  Here recently I haven't been writing very much.  It's not because I have lost interest.  I still remember my first post on here and my incentive that drove me to do so.  I have taken interest in writing elsewhere though.

I have always had the dream of publishing my own work.  I had researched some options for doing that several months back.  I could try to contact a publisher in person, edit my book countless times, spend up to a year in the process, and still risk the publisher not using my story.  But the money could possibly be better. Like most people, I felt a more reasonable time frame would be towards my liking.  I found a few reputable publishing companies online.  Here's where the differences weigh in and you have to decide what you are really looking for.  Do you want to make a real book, or an e-book?  Do you use their free ISBN number and have them as your publisher, pay a small fee and get a little more freedom as to where you can sell your book, or do you buy your own ISBN numbers and have total freedom of it, but pay more up front?  Do you want your book available in brick-and-mortar stores, online only, in schools and libraries, or all?  I always thought that people just wrote a story, sent it in to a publisher and if it was good enough, turned into a book and sold.  Boy was I wrong.

After weighing in as many options as I could, I found a company that seemed to suit my *wants* a little better than some of the others.  With the acceptance of e-books today being used on smartphones, tablets, and e-readers, I wanted to primarily use an e-book format.  And for others that prefer to have a tangible item, I wanted the option to have printed books as well.  I also don't have the extra money to purchase an ISBN much less a block of ISBN numbers, so having the option of getting one for free in exchange to a few minor restrictions, works well in my favor.  The restrictions really are minor.  The one's I have found are: You can only sell through this publisher, but in turn, the cover almost everywhere you would sell to start with.  If you use any of there images for your cover design, you can't redistribute it outside of their distribution lines, you would have to design a new cover on your own, and republish the book as a new edition with a new ISBN.  Neither of those, or any other restrictions, were deal-breakers for me.

I have been plotting out a few stories in my head for some time now.  I also feel that it is time to try and follow that dream now.  With a little bit of hope and luck, maybe it will be something that works for me.  I may make a few dollars in the long run, but for me it would be about seeing my work in print with my name on it.  It's not a major accomplishment.  Anyone can write something and get it printed.  But to me, it would satisfy a goal I've had since I was a child.  To me, it would mean something.

If anyone is interested in checking out the service I decided on, you can use the link below. There is no cost to join or use the service unless you want professional services. The whole service is free except for buying proofs of your hardcopy to evaluate. If you don't want a hardcopy, you can use this service to publish to Kindle I believe. Good Luck!

This software can also help you format and upload digital books (eBooks) directly to Kindle.
A great way to make a few extra bucks while expressing your creative side.




I'm not forgetting or dropping my writing on here, but it will be neglected for a little while.  I will try to write on here in my spare time or when I need a break.

Until then...

Remember to do something good for others that are less fortunate.  Pay It Forward.

Love For Your Pets - The Kitty Pillow

I feel that most of my posts have been food oriented, so I want to change up a little.  Well, if you consider going back to what I started out doing as changing.

I snapped this photo a few nights ago, and thought it was cute, but it also held something a little stronger.  I don't usually break down photos like this, but I felt like this was was *talking to me*.

If you look at my Daughter, she is no doubt comfortably asleep.  The blue thing you see in the bottom left side of the photo is her *Bunny* that she normally falls asleep with.  On this night she replaced the *Bunny* with the Kitty-Cat.  She claimed this cat as soon as it came into our home, and has loved it and played with it since.  We named the cat, but we always refer to it as "Her Cat".  We see how she interacts with this Kitty-Cat every day.  Everyone here knows how much she loves that cat.  And I think that it is reflected in this picture how much she loves it.  She fell asleep with it instead of her favorite stuffed animal.  For a child her age, that must be love.

Now on the other hand, and what caught my eye was the cat doesn't seem to mind her holding on to him.  He's not asleep, but I think that's from where I was moving around to catch the picture.  But he's not trying to get away from her.  I think it I had been a little more quiet when getting the picture, I may have caught them both asleep.  He's just laying there, seemingly enjoying his affections.  If you were to see the way he acts towards her when they are playing during the day, this picture would explain it all.  My Daughter will pick him up, carry him like a baby, and then play with him.  And he goes along with it.  It almost seems like he understands her affection towards him and reciprocates it back the best he can.

To most people that may read this article, they will see a picture of a girl snuggled up with a Kitty-Cat followed by the ramblings of a madman.  When I see this picture, I see the epitome of love.  People may have many pets during a lifetime.  They may be cats, dogs, birds, fish, or whatever animal suits you as a person.  But it's those special pets you have during that lifetime that make the biggest impact.  Sometimes you come across that one pet that seems like it was meant for you to meet.  Once that bond has been made, that pet is forever a part of your life.  That bond.  That love. That's what is seen in the photo above.

If you are ever capable of having that type of love for an animal, just think if you could love a person the same, if not more.  Try to have that kind of love for your fellow humans and see how much better we could live.  And that my friends, seems like a good note to end on.

Try to practice the love you just read about above.  The best way to start is by doing something nice for someone else.  Pay It Forward.

Something a little different - Don't be scared

I was playing around online today and ended up on a new website.  It's called CreepyFeeling.com.  There isn't a lot on there, but there was an empty section that was asking for true stories.  It made me think about when I was a kid.  There may be ways to explain what happened, but in over 20 years time I haven't come up with anything.  If anyone has any ideas that may explain something mentioned, please share your thoughts and ideas on here and/or at the CreepyFeeling.com site.  So, are you ready to find out what part of my childhood was like?  Here you go...

When I was about 4 or 5 years old, we lived in this 2 story house that was built in the early 1900's.  I never really heard about anyone passing in the home, but I can assure you that many weird things happened in that home.

There was always something knocking on the walls and/or doors.  My parents told of one morning they were awakened by someone beating on the door several times, and each time they answered, no one was there.  This happened a few times in a row that morning.  The last time they checked the door, and saw no one there, they smelled smoke.  Upon tracking down the smell, they discovered an outlet behind the refrigerator that malfunctioned and almost caught fire.  This one, I believe, is the only event I didn't witness first hand.

Aside from the everyday knocks and bangs, there was one thing that made me feel "singled out".  I think I was the only one to experience the "touches".  I don't know of any other way to explain it.  Some nights when I would being laying in bed trying to sleep, I could feel something "tickling" my back and sides.  It was almost like someone was playing with me.  There were times I would be walking through the house and bump into something that wasn't there.  I felt it.  It would sometimes slow me down or stop me even.  Like some sort of imaginary brick wall at times.  Other times it was like bumping into someone at the store when you don't pay attention.

Every once and a while my parents would have friends come over to eat.  I remember a few times when our house was full of people.  On one occasion, we had a full house.  One of the ladies had already gotten her plate of food and asked my Mom when the bread was going to be coming out of the oven.  My Mom just looked at her funny and went back to what she was doing.  She thought the woman was messing with her.  A little more time passed, and the woman asked her again about the bread.  My Mom finally answered her, that there was no bread cooking, in fact the oven had been off for quite some time.  The woman insisted my Mother was playing a joke and went to check the oven for the bread she had been smelling.  She went into the kitchen, saw that the oven was indeed off and cool to the touch.  She opened the door, and found nothing there.  

On the other side of the phantom smells was when all of us would stay away overnight.  We would only experience a certain smell when we would come back home after an overnight stay.  The smell was always of onions and fresh dirt.

As far as things in the house moving, it was quite rare.  The one that sticks out the most would be when my Dad and I were sitting in our living room watching TV.  While we were sitting there the door coming into the living room opened slowly by itself.  We heard the handle turn, and watched it creak open.  We were both shocked at what had happened.  Being just a little kid I didn't know what to do.  I did the first thing that came to mind.  Anytime I left a door opened, I was told to shut it.  So I saw this as my chance, and yelled out, "Shut the door!".  A few seconds went by, and the door started closing even slower than it has opened.  About halfway through shutting the door slammed shut as hard as it could.  The door never moved again on it's own, to our knowledge.  And I never yelled at anything weird in the house again either.  

Like a lot of people today, our TV would come on by itself, change channels, and the sound would go up and down.  The only difference was this was back in the 80's and our TV wasn't remote operated.  You had to pull the knob to turn it on, and push it to turn it off.  If you twist the knob, it would change the volume.  We had the old timey cable box that sat on top of the TV and you had to turn the knob on that to change channels.  The only thing we had with a remote was a VCR.  And somehow the remote kept getting lost and would show up weeks later in a completely different room.

The last thing I want to share is the only "physical" weirdness I witnessed.  It was early one morning.  I was in the living room once again watching my morning cartoons and getting my stuff together for school.  Then it happened.  Right there in the middle of the room.  It looked as if someone had taken a gigantic drag off of a cigarette, and exhaled it right before my eyes.  The white smokey-looking cloud came from nowhere.  It just swirled in from the middle of the room from thin air.  It filled a good portion of the room and then just dissipated back into nothing.  I was speechless because I didn't know what was happening, but I also felt no need to be scared.  It was truly something that has stayed with me through the years.

That house eventually burned down in the early 90's.  Amazingly, we were in the effort of moving into another home on the other side of town.  My Mother and I were staying at the new home the night the fire happened.  My Father was finishing up at work.  No one was in the house.  The gas furnace we had malfunctioned.  The explosion was strong enough to lift over half of the roof off of the second story of the house.  The room that was effected the most was the room my Father would have been sleeping in.  The explosion would have killed him instantly.  

I guess luck was on our side.


Everything mentioned here is true.  I could go into more detail, but then this post would be incredibly long.  I just wanted to get the main points across.  If anyone wants any further information, I'm willing to answer anything I can if it can solve what happened back then.  


I anyone wants to share their stories, you can do so at CreepyFeeling.com and/or below.  I can't wait to read what other's have experienced.


Until we meet again folks, remember to do something nice for someone else.  Pay It Forward

Homemade Chocolate Cake Covered with Ganache

I was sitting around the house today, and became bored with the TV and internet.  Most of the time when that happens, I end up in the kitchen.  I know I'm a "big boy", but I didn't go to the kitchen to eat.  I was on a mission.  I was there to cook.  But what was I going to cook?  I like trying to make new things just to see how it turns out, and if I want to change it around or add my own twist to it.  Well, if you made it past the title of this blog, you know I ended up making a Chocolate Cake.  When I got done, I posted this picture online:

Chocolate Cake covered with Ganache and dusted with Powdered Sugar.

I was proud of how it turned out and wanted to share it.  A friend of mine also thought it turned out well, and wanted me to post the recipe on here for her to try out as well. Before I go on, I want to take a moment and give my friend, Kim, a plug for her own blog at:http://kimberlydpegram1981.blogspot.com/.  She requested this, and has been a good friend over the years.  So when you get done drooling here, click on over and drool on her pages for a while and thank her for getting this recipe put up.

Now, on to the good stuff...

Ingredients for cake:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Ingredients for Ganache:

• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions:

We'll start off with the cake.  Mix the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. 

Now add in the wet ingredients except for water..  Milk, extract, eggs, and vegetable oil.

If you are hand whisking you should do this next part VERY slowly, as you do not want to cook the eggs already in your batter. Electric mixer should be okay, but still go slow, don't just pour the water in.

Start mixing your batter, and slowly pour in the hot water.  Allow each portion of water to be completely mixed before adding more.

Once all of the water has been mixed you should have a slightly runny batter.  

You can use 2 9" round cake pans, a regular bundt pan, or if you have another cake pan of equal volume.  Either spray them down with Baker's Joy (or equivalent I'm not picky) or butter your pan(s) with butter and a paper towel and lightly flour them afterwards.

Distribute your batter to your pan(s), and place them in a pre-heated 350 degree oven on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes.  All ovens were not created equally, so start checking you cake after about 20 minutes.  I test mine with a bamboo skewer but toothpicks, and quite possibly for the older crowd that still uses "the broom whiskers" all will work.  Pull your cake from the oven, and when you put your skewer/toothpick/broom whisker into the cake and pull it out, it shouldn't have any wet batter on it.  If it does, put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes and test it again.  When I get a clean test, I test several areas across the entire cake, just to make sure it done evenly.

Now on to the Ganache.  This is really easy.

Pour you semi-sweet chocolate chips into a medium mixing bowl.

Add the powdered sugar to the chocolate chips.

Add the cocoa powder to the chocolate chips.

Put the butter and cream into a small saucepan and bring it almost to a boil.  Be sure to stir the entire time to prevent burning or scorching.

You can tell it's almost ready when you start to see it let off steam, and it continues to do so as you are stirring.  If you get it to boiling for a few seconds, don't worry, all is not lost.

As soon as it is ready, pour the cream and butter mix in with the other ingredients.

It might be tempting, but let it sit for about a full minute before starting to mix.  This will give the chocolate chips time to soften and allow an easier mix.  Now is also the time if you want to try out some of your extracts.  Maybe a touch of vanilla, or strawberry, maybe even a touch of coconut.  You don't have to, but it may just add another level of complexity to you tastebuds when it's time to eat.

Once it is fully mixed, drizzle it over the top of the cake.

I can see it now.  Someone has done this with a bundt pan and is thinking, "Why do I have all of this Ganache left over!".  You may have some left over with the other pan assortments as well.  It's not a mistake.  Don't flood your cake with the Ganache.  It is already a rich flavored cake.  The remaining Ganache is for plating the slices.  If you serve on small plates or saucers, spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of Ganache onto the plate, and then place a slice of cake on top of it.  As you can see in the picture above, I also dusted mine with a little powdered sugar after adding the Ganache drizzle.  You can add more powdered sugar to the slices, or whipped cream.  Pretty much anything that goes with chocolate.

I admit that I like sweets.  This cake sits pretty much in the middle of the road for me.  It's very rich tasting, but it's also not overly sweet.  Be sure to have an ice cold cup of milk on standby as the perfect drink to go along with this.  

If you think this may be too much chocolate, you can swap out the Ganache for a simple glaze.  In a small mixing bowl add 2-3 tablespoons of milk.  To this you will add powdered sugar a little at a time while whisking until the mixture thickens.  It is a very quick glaze.  You can also add a touch of vanilla to the glaze for a little extra flavor. You would then drizzle it over your cake like the Ganache, but I wouldn't sprinkle the powdered sugar on the glaze.  

If you have anything you would like to add, change, or remove, then share it below.  If you have tried this one out and want to share your opinions below please do so.  You can also request me to write about almost anything.  I read every comment that goes into this blog, and I regularly check my social networks.  Feel free to contact me at any of these places, and the next article I write, might just be on your idea.  I will also give credit like I did at the beginning of this article.

As always, remember to do something good for someone else.  Pay It Forward.

Beef Stroganoff Made Easy

Beef Stroganoff may not be on the top of your family meal list, but I think it makes a great meal that should in turn be made at least every other week.  Most families that I have noticed will make the boxed dinner version, but if you were to ask them how to make it, they wouldn't know quite what goes in it.  I going to give you a very simple recipe that can be made in less than 45 minutes and tastes amazing.  Are you ready?

Ingredients:

• Ribeye Steak (preferred, but other beef can be substituted)
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• approx. 1/2 box of Beef Broth
• All Purpose Flour
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• approx. 1 cup of Sour Cream
• Minced Onion flakes, or fresh onion to taste
• Fresh Mushrooms (diced) to taste (can substitute canned mushrooms, but drain first)
• Salt + Pepper to taste
• 1 Bad of Egg Noodles

Directions:

• Cut your Ribeye into small strips or chunks.
• Thinly coat a sauce pan with the olive oil and about 2-3 tablespoons of butter. Your stove should go on MED - MED-HI.
• Brown the meat in the sauce pan.
• Add your onions and mushrooms to the pan and allow them to cook for about 10 minutes.  Both of these items are to taste.  I used about 2 tablespoons of minced onion flakes and about 1 cup of fresh mushrooms, diced.
• Now add about 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour.  This should cause the oil and the butter to thicken up. Continue Stirring.
• Add in the cream of mushroom soup.  Continue stirring  The contents of the pan should be thoroughly mixed together, but the stirring is to help keep the mixture from sticking to the pan.
• Add in the beef broth.  This should thin the mixture out.  If you want it a little thinner add more broth.
• Once it has a texture you are happy with, turn it down to warm/low, and cook your bag of egg noodles.
• Right before you add your beef mixture to the strained noodles, add the sour cream to the beef mixture.  The amount of sour cream can also be adjusted according to preference.  I find that it adds a sharp creaminess to the meal.
• After the sour cream, mix the beef mixture and the noodles together. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

I have tried this a few times.  I have tried different meats.  Ground beef works very well, but I still prefer the small pieces of ribeye.  The ribeye tends to add more flavor from its drippings in the mix, and also has a tenderness to the meat.  I have also substituted the beef broth for the small packs of Knorr Beef Stock (here's a link if you don't know what I'm referring to: Knorr Beef Stock)  If you use these, you will have to play around with your liquids. I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of water, but I also think the taste is worth the hassle.  I would have used it in the recipe above, but I decided to make the one above as simple as possible while still tasting great and just added my 2 cents after the fact.  Also if you find that you're not getting enough onion flavor while your cooking, but you don't want to add more onion flakes or cut more onions.  I used the amount of minced onion flakes stated in the recipe, but later added onion powder.  I like strong full flavors in my food, while others don't, which is fine.  For other that do, that's why I'm adding this at the end.  

If you have any other twists on this recipe that you would like to share, or maybe another way of doing it altogether.  Please, share it with everyone else by adding a comment below.  I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and techniques.

As always remember to do something nice for someone other than yourself.  Pay It Forward.

Guitar Lessons: G, C, D - Chords to Live By

This is a short starter video I did to share with anyone that wanted to learn how to play the guitar.  These are very basic chords that are used in many popular songs.  It's even enough to make your own song if you wanted to.  If you're learning how to play, I'm going to make the assumption that you are learning how to read Tablature (a.k.a. - tabs).  I'll "tab out" the chords below so that you can see them along with the video, or study them afterwards.  If you haven't learned how to read tabs yet, there are many great resources out there to read or watch how to read them.  YouTube would be a good starting point, and reading tabs with greatly further your playing.  So here are those chords:

                           G            C              D

e ---------|---3----|---------|---2-----|-#1-|  <---Smallest String - #1

B ---------|---3----|----1----|---3-----|-#2-|

D ---------|--------|---------|---2-----|-#3-|  The numbers represent the frets to hold down.

G ---------|--------|----2----|---------|-#4-|  The "#" numbers are the string numbers.
A ---------|---2----|----3----|---x-----|-#5-|


E ---------|---3----|----x----|---x-----|-#6-|  <---Biggest String - #6

Now for the video part:

I know personally that learning to play can get frustrating at times.  Be prepared for that.  There will be times that you want to give up, sell your guitar and anything that goes along with it, that is, if you haven't broken it yet (Don't break it!).  I have been playing for many years.  I'm not a guitar master, or anywhere close to being one.  I can play most songs that I set my mind to, and play them well.  Even in different keys or tunings.  I still get caught up on some of the easier songs and get frustrated.  If you get mad, put your guitar down and forget about it.  It's nearly impossible to learn something while your mad.  Go watch a show, catch a snack, ANYTHING but think about playing.  No matter how fast you learn, you won't become a rockstar over night.  This is something that will take time and desire.  With that in mind, take this little bit of information and run with it.  

If any other guitar players have anything to add, please do so in the comments below.  If anyone uses this information and wishes to show me what they learned, please go to YouTube and post a video response.  My YouTube channel can be reached using the tab at the top of this page.  If you just want to tell me, and everyone else, what you learned, leave a comment on here, my YouTube page, or both.

Remember to do something good for someone else, Pay It Forward.

Awesome Waffles

I know that you can go out and buy a box of frozen waffles.  I know that you can pop them in the toaster or microwave and have breakfast in a few minutes.  I also know that a made-from-scratch, home-cooked meal will beat a frozen box meal almost every time.  I wasn't much in the cooking mood this morning, but my wife was in the hungry mood, and proposed a waffle breakfast.  I hadn't made them in a while and the idea seemed great.  I like some homemade waffles.  I dug through my recipes and found one that stood out to me, and I want to share it with everyone.  I believe that this recipe incorporates the fluffiness that makes it palatable.  It has a good buttery flavor, but not overbearing.  And the outside of it has a slightly crispy texture that just begs you to keep eating.  I topped mine off with a little more butter and filled each delicious square with maple syrup.  My wife took the same route, but added some powdered sugar.  She was in search of some strawberries, but our daughter beat her to them.

Now that I've hopefully got your brain thinking food, and your mouth watering, are you ready to find out how I made them?  Well tune in next time to find out...  I'm not that mean.  Okay, here we go!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups AP flour (can be adjusted for lighter or denser waffles)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup whole milk (preferred, but can be substituted)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons of butter - soft/melted
• 2 eggs - beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

• I try to have my ingredients separated and ready to add.  I also try to keep my blender going as I add ingredients.  I feel it incorporates more air into the mix and makes them a little fluffier.  You don't have to do this.  It doesn't have that much effect of the final product.  It's just personal preference.  Whisking and blending wet/dry ingredients works just as well.
• With that said, I start off with the eggs and beat them with a hand blender.
• Next I add the buttermilk followed by the whole milk while keeping the blender going.
• Now it's time to add the butter.  If it's soft butter, beat it until there are only tiny pieces of butter are visible.  If it's melted, just add it in slowly and mix completely.
• Now we can start adding the dry ingredients.  I start with the small amounts and work my way up.  So I add the salt.
• Next in the mix are the baking soda, baking powder, and sugar.
• Finally, it's time to add the flour.  Above I mentioned that this can be adjusted for personal preference.  I would say that if you like very light waffles add flour until the mixture has a consistency of white school glue. If you like heavier waffles you'll probably aim more for a thicker "white gravy" consistency.  I believe 2 cups is about right down the middle.
• Ladle approximately 1/2 cup of mix into your waffle maker.  I usually stop adding mix when it is about 1 - 1 1/2 inches away from the edges.  That allows the lid to close, and the mixture to finish spreading out and rise.

As with any recipe this can be tweaked to suit the individual.  By all means change this however you deem necessary.  You should be made happy by making and eating the food you prepare.

After adding my extra pads of butter on top to melt in and the syrup, I devoured my plates contents trying to enjoy every second of it.  I admit that I am a food lover from top to bottom.  I believe that is the first step in creating great food.  If you give 100% and love it 100% it will show in the taste most of the time.  If you doubt that, visit one of your regular hangouts when the cook is having a bad day and doesn't want to be there.  Chances are you will taste a difference.

If you try this recipe, let everyone know how it turned out below in the comments.  Let us know if you would change something or any variations you liked.

As always, remember to do something good for someone else, Pay It Forward.

The Critter and Buggy Android App

This is going to be a short article.  I took some free time today and played around with a few different designs for an app for this blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and an RSS feed from this site (a quick way to view several articles at once).  I settled on 2 designs that I liked.  A "Plain Jane" version the had social features like commenting, liking, and sharing.  The other didn't have the same social elements, but was a lot cleaner looking, and easier on the eyes.  I thought hard about it, and made my decision.  And to solidify my decision, I showed my wife the same 2 apps and made her pick one as well.  She picked the same one, so that's the one I'm going to share.  Below you will find a link to install this to your android device.

Things to know about this app:
It is free. (YEAH! Free is Great!)
This is a basic app, it' won't make you breakfast and coffee in the mornings.
This does not install from the "Google Play Store".
To be able to install it you must got to "Settings" -->"Applications" --> and then check "Unknown Sources"
I don't have the funds to add it to the market, so this is how I can keep it free.

There are 2 ways to install it.  Download it on a desktop computer, move it to your phone, and then install.  The other way is to visit this page directly from your phone, click the link, and when it downloads, install it.

Here's the download link:  Download App

I just wanted to pass this along to anyone that wanted it, wanted to play with it, try it, test it, or try it to give some feedback.  I have tried and tested this on my own phone and everything works properly.

Sorry iOS users, I don't have an Apple version.

Have a great day, and do something nice for someone else.  Pay It Forward.

A Proud Papa Moment

I know I already wrote a post earlier today, but this one is more of a journal post than an article. I wanted to share a collection of moments that just touches my heart, from a Daddy's viewpoint. My wife and I rarely go out anymore whether it be because of a lack of time, lack of money, or just pure lack of "get-up-and-go". We finally got to go out by ourselves the other night (Thanks Grandma!). While we were out we took pictures of each other to share on the "Socialwebs" that we got a date night. We finished our date and got back home. My wife saved the picture of me as the wallpaper on her phone and our youngest daughter saw me on the screen. The screen only lit up for about 10 seconds and would go out. Our daughter took Mommy's phone and was playing with my picture and looking at me grinning. When the screen went out though, she would literally throw the phone back at Mommy (we know throwing stuff at Mommy's isn't nice, but we made the exception because it was so funny to watch). She threw the phone back until Mommy would turn the screen back on, which she would play with my picture, and turn towards me and grin. This cycle went on for a while. Below is a video I shot of her before we stopped and got her ready for bed.







My other daughter, "Critter" is older and is also my little shadow.  She refuses to let me out of her sight most of the time, and she wants to do, or help do anything that Daddy does. Since she is older, we do quite a bit of stuff together, that Buggy will get to do when she gets older too.  I have posted a few YouTube videos including her doing the little things...wait a minute, let me say that a different way...I posted videos of her doing things that are common and simple to me, but mean the world to her.  And that's all I really look for, is trying to find ways to make wonderful memories with my children.  I'll post some of her videos below if you care to see them, or you can visit my YouTube channel by clicking the tab at the top of the page.















These are just a few of my Proud Papa moments.  They happen all the time, and if I posted every one of them on here, I don't think I would ever get a break from writing.  So girls, when you get older, and if you ever read this, Daddy loves you.  You better KNOW it.
Now, it's time to go play with my "youngins".
Remember, do something nice for someone else.  Pay It Forward.

Who will you be tomorrow?

Yesterday I was the guy that works outside all day to try and make his home look presentable. Today, I'm the man that is enjoying some downtime with the kids. Who will I be tomorrow? Regardless of my chore or job for the day, I believe I am the same man. Every day I try to be a good role model for our future generation. Whether it's my children, other's children, or anyone else that notices me whether I know it or not. I'm not perfect and I don't claim to be. I watch scary/violent movies and I use foul language at times. In today's society, that is more acceptable than it was many years back. It doesn't make it right, but easier for people to swallow, so to speak. Many people would say I should be categorized under "A**Hole", and that would probably be true. But they would also have to say I am a fair and moral "A**hole". Only because of how stubborn I am about being as fair as possible and honestly trying to do the right thing. I try to instill these traits into the next generation, with the exception of the stubborn part. I default that to my genetic make up. If I can make my impact on just one person, but hopefully more, I think I have fulfilled my task that I charged upon myself.

I read an article several years back that talked about Adolf Hitler's DNA being used to clone him and creating another ruthless dictator. Without reciting the entire article, it pretty much said it would be nearly impossible because Hitler's entire life could not be forged from his DNA, but only by living the life Hitler actually lived. I thought to myself, "What would happen if Hitler was cloned, and I raised him?". Would one of history's most notorious people go from a German speaking Nazi rallying for world domination by eliminating all but "the perfect race", into a Southern speaking city boy with country upbringing that rallies for world peace by trying to infuse everyone INTO a (for lack of better wording) perfect race. By race, I am not talking about color, but the HUMAN race as a whole. I thought it would be funny and kind of cool at the same time. How would you have changed Hitler's clone if given the opportunity?

Using the example of Hitler from above, I would almost like to see it done just to prove whether good or bad is learned or genetic. My argument would have to be for learned. I honestly believe that the things we do today affects what happens tomorrow, and that we are truly in control of our own futures. Sometimes things happen by chance, which I leave to the variables of life. Nothing about life is 100% predictable. But I do thing it is "guidable". If someone wants to be rich, they have a few options. One would be, go to school, get your diplomas/certificates/degrees and pursue the money you desire to the top, or start your own business and run with it until you reach an apex. Another way would be to invent or create and sell your ideas or stories. Then there is my way. I chased the money, and even found it for a while. I made very good money doing a very easy task that only required a few weeks of training, and a keen eye for detail. After a few years I was laid off and that money went away. But I still feel I kept the riches, and here's why. Yes I made good money at that job, but that job is also where I met my wife, and started my family. A family is all I ever really wanted in life. I set forth the events in my own life and achieved the outcome I wanted. The only variable was applying for a job and meeting the woman I love which somehow fell in place within a year's time.

There was a whole chain of events that lead up to me having a family of my own, but I held the reigns for most of that journey. If you want the most out of life you have to jump up and grab it sometimes, or you will miss it altogether. Let nothing stand in your way when you find what you really want in life. Don't be anyone's puppet either. They have their own life to live, as do you. Make the absolute best out of what you have in life, and try to attain those things you want included in with it.

I know that life is complex, but it can generally be broken down into two paths. Good or bad. I even have my own ratio as to what I go by to determine whether someone/thing is good or bad. I use a 70%/30% rule. I even try to live my own life by this rule. I'll explain it briefly, and answer any questions below. It's pretty simple. 70 is more than half (using a 100% scale). 70 is also more than double 30 (30% completes the 100% scale). Now this is where personal judgment and morality takes over. When I try to judge whether I think a person or thing is good or bad I give them a score like you would a math test in high school. If that person or thing rates close to or above a 70, I deem that that person or thing is "good". I think that 30% is good enough to cover the negative stuff. For example, I'll rate myself. I would give myself between a 75 and 80. That gives about 20%-25% to cover the bad stuff I know I've done, and even the things that I've done wrong, when I felt it was for the right reason. I know a lot of people don't feel it's right to judge others. I don't walk around judging everyone. I use my judging system the same way a bank uses your credit score. If you have bad credit, they won't lend you money. If you have a bad rating with me, I don't need you around in my life. Same concept with a different application. Your credit score changes depending on how you manage your finances. A "credit score" with me changes depending on how you manage you choices in life. If you steal and lie, don't try to be in my life.

I hope that something I have written here will provoke some thought or inspire some positive influence in your life. I know that I talk about negative things, or things that may SOUND negative, but I always try to have a positive outlook or find a positive outcome when I can. I don't do it to the point of living in a fantasy, but sometimes when you're down, it makes life a little easier to cope with. There's no need to be down in life, cause it just brings you down. When people talk for a long time others say that person is long winded, so when someone types a lot, are they long-fingered? I think I have written quite a bit on this, and it's time to move on.


As always, do the right thing, and do something good for someone else. Pay It Forward.