Ooma (Not Thurman)

Yet another electronics purchase. I've got capacitors coming out my ears by now. We bought an Ooma box, something like this...

Although it actually doesn't look anything like that. We got the older and cheaper model. Regardless, it's a VOIP box so now our home phone service is free. Yippee! This did necessitate a change in our home phone number so if you need our new number, just ask.

As we have three different numbers, this change may be confusing, so let me detail it out for you.

Area code 414 number...this is our cell phone. We hardly ever use it and the number hasn't changed.
Area code 262 number...this is our Google Voice number. We use it as a forwarding number, so it will reach us no matter where we are.
Area code 503 number...this is our home phone. It has changed to a different 503 number. The old one is already disconnected, so ask for an update if needed.

Christmas Electronica

Christmas was pretty extravagant this year. I suppose that's a result of having a smaller Christmas last year because of unemployment. It was sheer bliss from an electronics point of view. Here's what we got:

Vizio 37' 1080p LCD TV

When you've had nothing but an computer monitor for several years (albeit a respectable 22" monitor), a TV seems really, really big. Strangely enough, the TV's primary function is a computer monitor. We were lucky to get this the day after Black Friday on one of those doorbuster deals where the store only carries 2-3. Thank you sparsely populated Hurricane, Utah!

As we already have a tuner card in our computer there is little benefit to buying a TV. The only reasons we wanted it was 1) bigger screen and 2) the ability to hook up a...

Wii

I got a Wii! I got a Wii! I finally got a Wii! (And yes, it is black.) So now that I had a TV I started looking around for deals on a Wii. We were actually thinking that a Wii would be a gift for Christmas 2011, but Wal-Mart had the console for $125 and I couldn't pass it up. I don't care if it's not the #1 selling console anymore, it's still the most entertaining.

Call us if you ever want to play Mario Kart, Mario Strikers Charged, Dr Mario Online Rx, or Tetris Party via Wifi Connection! Our console number is 4421 0628 5280 7464.

MP3 Player

I finally joined the bandwagon and got an MP3 player. I haven't needed one since I sold my PocketPC back in 2006, but computer restrictions at work are becoming more intensive so I need something else besides my work computer to play music. Enter the Sansa Clip+. Does the job, durable, cheap, non-flashy. Perfect.

Chumby (Alarm Clock)

So maybe you guys have heard of a Chumby before, but I was completely late to the table on this one. A Chumby is a simple internet appliance with a speaker, mic, accelerometer and a touch-screen that is surprisingly difficult to explain. It can run several different flash-based applications that you place in different 'channels' (I have channels for news, wake-up, photo frame, shopping, games, etc.). It can play FM radio. It can hook up to your Pandora account. It can play from any other internet music service or streaming radio site. It has an infinite number of alarms that you can fully customize to either wake you up or silently start a new channel or dim the lights or shut off. It is a remarkable little device.

I got it to primarily act as an alarm clock. So it wakes me up (M-F) to Pandora at 6 am. But then it automatically goes to my "Good Morning" channel which has a word-of-the-day program, the weather, quotes-of-the-day, a clock, a pregnancy countdown for TLC, and a moon chart. At 8 am I have it set as a digital photo frame that pulls images of our Picasa Web Albums. At 9 pm it switches over to my 'Shopping' channel so I don't miss any good deals. It cycles through our email accounts at 10 pm. At 10:30 it goes dark and plays a sleep timer of our local classical radio station. I'm completely enamored with this thing.

Here are two of my actual 'channels' just to give you an idea of what I mean. They are flash-based, but no guarantees that they'll work correctly on here. Consider it just for show.

"Good Morning!" Channel

My favorite app in this channel is the pregnancy countdown. When you click on the app, it gives fun little tidbits about the swimmer TLC is carrying around.

Games Channel

Why else would we have technology if not to play games???

2010: Year of Woody

 Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.

-Woody Allen (Annie Hall)

I love Woody Allen films. The art, the exploration of human nature, the comedy, the acting, the drama, the title sequence that never changes, the big band music...I love it all. In 2010, I made a point of watching every Woody Allen film that I hadn't yet seen but wanted to. It was a glorious, glorious year. I even got TLC (The Lovely Cynthia) to watch a few good ones with me. After such a binge of Woody's movies, I now have to revise my top five Woody Allen movies. These are my personal favorites, not necessarily his best.

Crime and Misdemeanors

"God is a luxury I can't afford."

I finally saw this one just this summer. In my opinion, it is Allen's masterpiece. Two very human stories are intertwined; one a Greek tragedy with deep introspection, the other a realist comedy. Religion, relationships, life and death are all examined. The acting and direction are wonderful. A few scenes are so well done that they permanently burn into your psyche. I'll never listen to Schubert the same way again.

Annie Hall

"La Di Dah, La Di Dah"

Here's a little trivia for you about one of my favorite movie stars - Diane Keaton. Her birth name is Diane Hall and her friends call her 'Annie'...she is literally the title character in this film. The personality and wardrobe were straight from Diane Keaton; no creative writing needed. Good thing she got the Oscar for it, no one could have played herself better. Winner of the Best Picture Oscar, Annie Hall is a romantic comedy with a bittersweet end. Woody Allen's best comedy, by far. It's a film that shows its age, but I still love it. TLC however, can't stand it - hard to please everyone.

Radio Days

"I've never forgotten any of those people or any of the voices we would hear on the radio. Though the truth is, with the passing of each New Year's Eve, those voices do seem to grow dimmer and dimmer."

It seems that, sooner or later, every great artist does an homage to his/her childhood. This is Woody's tender remembrance of simpler days when radio waves ruled the culture of our nation. Touching, funny, and very down to earth. And filled with great music from the 20's, 30's, and 40's that (depending on your age) will either be fondly remembered or a great first listen of classic hits. Also of note, Mia Farrow's best movie, in my humble opinion.

Manhattan Murder Mystery

"Claustrophia and a dead body - this is a neurotic's jackpot!"

Diane and Woody's last collaboration resulted in the brilliantly funny, heart-pounding Manhattan Murder Mystery which is a murder mystery in Manhattan...brilliant title right?...or is it a murder?... Either way, you'll have an enjoyable evening trying to figure it out. Bonus points for the married couple working out their differences...a rare feat in a Woody flick.

Small Time Crooks

Ray - "The Brain. That's what the guys used to call me, right?"
Benny - "But, Ray, that was sarcastic!"

Small Time Crooks is a deliciously indulgent comedy about dumb crooks and cookies...seriously. It's a really fun time, but don't expect to be made into a better or more cultured person by watching it. Tracey Ullman, Elaine May, and Hugh Grant are perfect in their roles.

A few other of Woody's films deserve at least an Honorable Mention:

No other movie is like Purple Rose of Cairo. It's an unexpected dramedy in its own class.
Hannah and Her Sisters is Woody's biggest commercial success. A masterfully told story of three sisters.
Vicky Christina Barcelona is great cinematically, but I can't recommend it because of its content.
Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a period detective/comedy film. Many think it's Woody's worst film, but...


There are a few Woody Allen movies I saw this summer that I can't stand. Stay away from them...please.

Sleeper - quite possibly the worst comedic Sci-Fi ever made. Too screwball and dirty to matter.
Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy - dumb story, Mia Farrow is terrible,...there are no redeeming values.
Play It Again, Sam - I really wanted to like this homage to Casablanca. I couldn't even stand to watch it all.

Best of 2010 Album

Here's our annual 'Best of' photo album for 2010. Finally. We were light on pictures this year, but for how busy the year was, I'm happy we took as many pictures as we did. Hope you enjoy the album!

Christmas Letter 2010

Merry Christmas everyone! Well...I guess it's Boxing Day now, but it's the thought that counts. We were unable to send our newsletter or a family picture via mail this year, so here is the document. You might also see it in your email or on Facebook...we're trying all options in an attempt to reach all of our wonderful friends and family. Our Christmas season was very enjoyable and we hope you also had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year!

Family Picture (Singular)

Family pictures were a little different this year. Instead of several good shots, we have just one. Yep, one shot. And you won't be getting a wallet or 3x5 or anything else because we only have one single print this year. I suppose it's for the best - our family portrait is no longer complete with just the four of us.

And of course I had to do the obligatory photo mosaic! There are now 15,290 pictures from our marriage to select from and 10,000 tiles in the mosaic. I don't think it turned out quite as well as last year's, but good nonetheless.

In case you noticed...this is also the first picture I've released after my weight loss. I'm down 32 pounds in the family picture and now I'm down 37 lbs.!!!

Alfred Burt Carols

 
Every Christmas season I'm amazed at how few people have ever heard of the Alfred Burt carols. Some of my favorite carols were written by him, and I've got to share some of them with you lovely people.

Alfred Burt (pictured above) had the perfect background for a Christmas carol composer: son of a pastor, and a trained jazz musician. Having a deep love of the Savior and a knowledge of when to use a C^7♯11 chord, he composed 15 beautiful carols as Christmas cards for family and friends every year from 1942 to 1954.

Sadly, he died at age 33 from cancer after finishing his Magnum opus (and my favorite Alfred Burt carol) "The Star Carol" just 24 hours before his death. Listen to this version by Simon and Garfunkel and remember that it is literally the last words of a talented and faithful young man...



Cynthia and I perform this version in church every couple of years. It's just too beautiful for words. Chokes me up often.

___________

John Williams (please tell me you've heard of him) did two medleys of Alfred Burt carols during his tenure with the Boston Pops. Below is one of them. At the six minute mark is another one of my favorites, "Caroling, Caroling", which sounds as much fun as caroling should be.



___________

The last one I'd like to share is "Some Children See Him".  James Taylor sang a well-known version of it a couple years ago which I think is bloated, self-indulgent, and loses the simplistic beauty of the original. I prefer a simpler arrangement, like the one below by Perry Como. (It's also in the medley above at 7:30)

Carl Bloch Exhibit

I can't think of many words to introduce this post. Basically, there's a Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU for the next six months. I couldn't miss it, so we stopped to see it on our drive to Hurricane. It was a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit, and the spirit was pretty strong there.

The above painting is 9' x 10'. BYU purchased it in 2001 and it's been the signature piece of their art museum ever since. It was stirring, but the reason the exhibit was such a rare one is because of the altarpieces. There were four other altarpieces present (like the painting at the top of the post) that have never been removed from their respective churches before. A few of them were still in the full woodwork of the altar...like this:

In short, it was a great exhibit and I'm glad I made time for it. If you're remotely close to BYU in the next 6 months, I highly recommend it.

Spiders Everywhere

Holy geez, there are a lot of spiders here. Luckily, I don't mind spiders that much and I think their webs can be quite pretty, but my arachnophobia-meter has climbed a notch or two since moving to OR.

A spider has taken up permanent residence in my motorcycle. Every night it builds a beautiful web from the left handlebar down to the front fender. I've only seen the spider once - it quickly scurried into the wiring of the dash. No idea how it stays on the motorcycle at 70 mph. I hope it wears a helmet.

I was playing with the boys at a playground a few weeks ago when Jordan asked me to kill a tiny spider on the monkey bars. I reached up high with one finger and tried to smash it on the top of the bar where it was sitting, but instead I just swept it toward me. it landed in the corner of my right eye and it BIT ME! By the raise of hands, how many people have had a spider bite in their freakin' eye???

My brother-in-law had a possible run-in with a Hobo Spider and the resultant necrosis was not pretty. I checked out the region that Hobos live in...yeah, they're everywhere in Oregon. I'm always on the lookout now. Paranoia will save me.

A whole league of spiders lives on our front balcony. No amount of cleaning can remove their presence. It's quite common to open the door and see a spider hanging down in the doorway. Yesterday I went outside for 60 seconds and had a spider crawling on my shirt when I came back inside. Gross, gross, gross.


Rejoice in your hatred of spiders by reading the following blogs (caution: language):

Oatmeal
Hyperbole and a Half

I'm Thankful for Brining

If there were one culinary lesson I could teach the world, it would be "how to bake a cookie". Most people have made cookies before, but very few have done it correctly. But if there were a SECOND culinary lesson I could teach the world, it would be "how to brine a Thanksgiving turkey". And I just happen to have that lesson handy!

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to take things up a notch in the kitchen. I went to a group Thanksgiving a few years ago where the couple in charge of veggies got freezer peas, tossed on some super-processed shredded cheese and threw it in the microwave...I almost flipped. This is a time for homemade goodness and the elimination of anything processed. That includes the turkey, which is usually the most processed portion of any Thanksgiving meal.

Sad as it may seem, turkey is not good meat; it is inherently very dry and tasteless. If you buy a Butterball turkey, you're buying a turkey with loads of additive juices that compensate for the juice lost in cooking. Though it does keep the turkey somewhat moist, it tastes processed and prevents you from adding any flavor.

The solution to the turkey problem is brining. Brining tenderizes the bird and adds more juices to the turkey than those artificial additives - and the juice can be flavored any way you want! If you brine this year, I promise you will never cook a turkey the same way again.

Step 1 - Obtain a five-gallon bucket and a FRESH turkey. Home Depot has the above bucket for about 3 bucks. The fresh turkey is a bit more difficult to find. All frozen turkeys are processed and self-basting, so you can't use them - the brining process won't work. It has to be a fresh turkey with minimal processing. You can usually find them at Whole Foods, New Seasons, Trader Joe's, or Aldi. (I think that covers most everyone who reads this blog). I usually wait to buy until the day before Thanksgiving because the turkeys are cheaper.

Step 2 - Make the brine. A brine is nothing more than salt water; the basic rule of them is 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water. There will eventually be two gallons of water in the bucket, so you need 1 cup of salt. You can add whatever flavors you want, but here's what I do: I get a gallon of chicken broth and boil it with 1 cup of kosher salt, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, a tablespoon of peppercorns, tablespoon of allspice berries, and two tablespoons of fresh ginger. The boiling is just to dissolve the salt. I let it sit in the fridge until cool and then plop it into the bucket. Doesn't look pretty, but it will taste great. Trust me.

Step 3 - Place the bird in the solution. The turkey needs to sit in the brine at least 6 hours. I like to brine it over night for good measure. Place the breast-up first because you want the breast to be as juicy as possible when it's ready for the oven/fryer.

Step 5 - Add a gallon of ice water to the solution to keep it cold. Back in WI, I'd cover the bucket with plastic wrap and place it in the garage because it was just as cold as the fridge. If you're somewhere warmer, place it in the fridge or a cooler.

Step 6 - Halfway through the brining time, flip the bird over so it's breast-down.

That's it. You now know the sacred art of brining a turkey. It can now be cooked in any method you choose and the turkey will turn out perfectly, every time. I use the same brining method when roasting a chicken or duck, just with a smaller 3-gallon bucket (an old BYU creamery bucket!)