orphaned time and notebooks

It is amazing how much time gets lost. Not wasted. Lost. Orphaned if you will.

I often find myself with something to do, somewhere to be, or somewhere to go at a particular time. I will look at my watch and know I cannot get any other task done in the intervening time because there is just not enough time. 

Or it will require too much clean-up for me or my work area when done. So, again, not enough time.

Why not just do something else that requires less time? Well, often, by the time I think of it, I have even less time.

I used to keep an extensive notebook of tasks, things, lists, blah, blah, blah... Something I actually learnt from my father. I still have his little Hilroy pocket ring-binder. However, for unknown reasons, I fell out of the practice. I have tried to use notepad software on my phone and tablet, and electronic calendars. Forget it, I forget to check it. Calendar reminders get ignored or not even heard.

the old man's hilroy binder

I have started up a notebook for ideas for this blog. I sometimes forget to bring it with me when I am out and about, so more work to be done there. I will need to break it into sections and set up my "to do" lists in it. I should put that on my to do list.

The great thing about a book for this kind of stuff though, is it lends itself to old daytimers, notebooks started out in other projects that are completed or abandoned, and the like. So, no shortage of notebooks. Everybody should be doing it.

 a a freebie daytimer I got that started out as a notebook when i worked for a cable company and now use for blog ideas

In fact, this is one thing, of many, that I have passed on to the Scouts I have worked with. Keep a notebook (and writing implement) on yourself all the time. You can jot down ideas, questions that need to be answered later, take notes, have information for reference, and of course, reminders of tasks that need doing.

So, I am working on keeping a notebook. I have to retrain myself to keep it handy all the time and check it frequently. However, that still will not fix those orphaned time intervals that are too short for my priorities. Being a procrastinator does not help either.

So, there you go, I need to kick myself in the ass. It is time to adopt those orphans. Something the wife used to do for me, was set a timer and send me off to do something that was pretty easy to start and stop at will. Like clean-up my crap in the basement and garage. Maybe that is a good place to start training, and get tidy too.

It may get me spurred to start my, hopefully, daily hikes in a local forest here that is on crown land. You see, my plan was: wake up super early, do a few small tasks, then get out to the forest, hike around, get home, do my thing(s), and get a bunch of tasks done around the house.

Not that ambitious I think. So, I have to resolve here and now. I will organise myself. Keep notes of what is going on and needs to get gone. Get outdoors in the bush regularly; it is where I really like to be. Get my crap cleaned up and sorted at home and get tasks completed. This really is just everyday living. It is those darned time orphans that need to be taken charge of. I wonder if they are related to the drawfs that move my stuff around when I am not looking. At least they do not dare touch my notebooks. Now, keys, that is different story.

cooking - garbage can soup

So, I have mentioned Garbage Can Soup in a post or two. This is a really simple recipe. In fact, there is no actual recipe. All you do is take items out of fridge, freezer, cupboard, and/or whatever is on the counter. Every time you make this soup it will be different. And no, no garbage cans or garbage is used in the making of this soup. It is named as such because it uses whatever is at hand and probably needs to be eaten up.

This is a great way to use up bits and pieces of certain leftovers, vegetables that may not be up to snuff for a stir-fry or side dish, and items you have kicking around that you do not know what to do with. Like that really small container of leftover taco meat you keep moving out of the way of the ice cube trays.

You will want to use your biggest pot as this soup can get away from you and grow quite large as you add what you find lying around the kitchen. Make sure your counters are cleared away so can you put everything out for inspection and decide what you will use.

First thing is the stock. I save the drippings and jus from roasts and poultry after cooking. If I do not use it for gravy, I put it in a container, let it cool to separate, then freeze it for later use. When I need it, I take it out and skim off the layer of fat, which I may or may not use to fry up onions or other veggies. You can even use gravy that you forgot about and is lying in the back of the freezer or leftover soup that is not worthy of a meal on its own. Even leftover fondue broth, if you roll that way. 

Throw the liquid in a pot and then heat it up. It is usually strong, so it gets cut with water as I cook and I am careful with any potentially strong seasonings, like paprika and cayenne, adding it much later in the cooking process. If I do not have any jus, I will make stock from bones and carcasses or use store bought stock or just water with or without some bouillon; this is when you may have to be more generous with the seasoning. Throw in a couple/few bay leaves too if you have them.

While the stock is heating up, start sorting your other ingredients and cut away any nasty bits and cut the good stuff up for the pot. Do not be shy cutting away the undesirable bits, just do not go super crazy either. Rinse everything thoroughly. Chop everything up to be spoon-sized, not so small that you cannot recognise what it is, but not so big that you need a fork and knife to eat it either.

I have never made anyone sick serving this soup, by the way. A friend of mine whose father is a chef told me once something his father passed on to him: you can cook the "bad" out of raw foods, it is already-cooked ingredients you need to be careful of. I more or less knew this before, and I have always found it to be true when I have been in such situations, such as in the bush or as a very poor student making do.

Anyway, I do not use the bad bits. So, no worries.

As you are cutting everything up, keep those little crumb-like bits that come away when you chop veggies. They will all but dissolve and add another layer of flavour to the soup. For this particular soup, I have cauliflower, broccoli, kale (way too much for the boy's lizard to eat up before it goes off, so most it will be used), shanghai bok choy, a little bit of limp celery. I also have some potatoes from my garden that I harvested last November a week before we got dumped on. Incidentally, that is when I planted my garlic too, same patch the potatoes came out of. I rooted around in the bushel and found a half-dozen-odd smallish potatoes that took the brunt of the spade when digging them up. Perfect for "thoup", as one of my former Warrant Officers in the Army would say.

The first bits in the pot are root vegetables and the stems from your various vegetables. Yes, use the stems from your kale, bok choy, cauliflower, broccoli, and the like. And you know those little leafy bits hanging off the stems of your broccoli, throw them in too. People pay stupid money to buy it bagged as a salad ingredient. It does quite well in soups, stews, and stir-fries. Oh yeah, throw in the celery too. Leafy bits and all (not the nasty brown nub on the bottom though). People will tell you that the leafy part of celery is (mildly) toxic. Pshaw that is beaver turds, I have never died eating it. Besides, if it is actually true (depends on where you get your info), the heat from the cooking process neutralises the toxicity. Another tidbit, everything can kill you, knowledge and moderation are key people!

Speaking of leafy bits, other than the celery, put them in later, you do not want them too soggy. You can even throw them in 5-15 minutes before serving, with or without the pot on the element. Where are the potatoes I mentioned earlier, you ask? Well, a fatal (not really) error many people make is throwing them in right at the beginning. They do the same with barley and split peas and the like. Wrong! If you add them at the beginning, they let out all their starch and thicken the soup too soon. Your veggies will not soften to that right consistency. You will end up cooking the shizzle out of the soup to soften them. Remember, you are cutting up the potatoes to spoon size. They will be done in less than twenty minutes. Barley and split peas are a little different. Whether you soak them beforehand or not, you need more time. At least an hour or two, in my opinion.

So, if you cut the taters well before you put them in the pot, then cover them with water, they may brown otherwise. They will definitely  dry out. When the time comes, dump in the potato water too, it has flavour in it. I do the same with the liquid from barley and split peas, if I soak them ahead of time. Ignore those who tell you to dump the water. Again, there is flavour there.

Before you start seasoning, and throughout the cooking process, monitor the taste, too strong, add some water or commercial stock. If it is bland, do not just add a bunch of salt and pepper. Use herbs and garlic and the like. If it is still bland, I have a secret weapon. Some time ago during one of the family's forays to Chilly Chiles, I came across a hot sauce that really helps bring the flavour up in bland foods. It is called The Evil One, and it comes from the UK of all places. The company that makes it is called Grim Reaper Foods. Now, I do not normally go for the kitschy type sauces, especially the ones with capsaicin extract (yes, the same stuff in "pepper" spray), but this one has that "je ne sais quoi" that helps food, not making it ridiculously hot either. Many hot sauces do not, many just add pointless heat, not flavour. This guy though, is not in my daily repertoire. (I will cover hot sauces at some future date.) At over twenty bones (at the time) for a 100 ml (3½ oz) bottle, I was not going to use it every day. It has come in handy a few times though, when I just could not get the flavour profile right.

pretty self-explanatory what this is

So, I have just a half an onion left and I want to save it for omelettes. No biggie. The stock is extremely flavourful this go-round, so I do not need any. Nor do I need garlic this time either. Usually, I use copious amounts of both. If I do discover that I need a bit of that allium oomph, I will used dried, granulated onion and garlic, not powder, that stuff is awful.

How long does this soup take to make? Depends. You can actually make it in about twenty minutes, start to finish. If you cook on high heat and ingredients are leftovers from frozen or tinned or the like. Even with fresh ingredients, if they are chopped pretty small. And you chop really quickly, keep on eye on your blade though, you do not want to lose any digits. Remember, soup-sized potatoes take less than twenty minutes from the boil, as little as ten minutes in fact. But really, plan for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half. Enjoy the process of cooking. Me, I do not like to chop quickly, unless I really need to. When it comes to soups, stews, and other one pot dishes, I like to take a relaxed pace. It can take several hours if you like. This batch, I will cook in the end for four-five hours. Low heat, doing little chores in between, typing this post.

So, the soup, it is almost done (said with a cheesy French accent). I have decided to add a big-butt can of Heinz Beans In Tomato Sauce to the pot for some protein. I am also adding some canned baby corn, sans the can juice and rinsed, chopped up for texture.

The beans and corn tamed out the flavour, so now I have added the granulated onion and garlic. Also, some Hungarian paprika and fresh ground white pepper. 

So, you can put pretty much anything in this soup you want and you can make it at any pace. I know a lot of people do not keep stock on hand or save the drippings from roasts, and if you are not keen on water as your liquid base, use tomatoes in any form you have, that is what is in tomato soup. Right? Oh, and no, you do not need to de-seed or remove the skins if you are using fresh tomatoes. Just chop it up small and cook away. No need to make extra work. 

Well, the soup is pretty much done. This time I spent four hours on it, but like I said, I like to take a relaxed pace. I have made versions in an hour and an hour-and-a-half, even quicker than that. I may yet add some frozen corn niblets for brightness and added crunch.

See, you can put anything in this soup! Anytime!!

are people from sudbury the newfies of ontario?

First and foremost, I use the term Newfie for people from Newfoundland, Canada with the the utmost respect. I have known several people from "The Rock" over the years. (Here is a fake news article about Dwayne Johnson challenging the use of the term. It is amusing.) They have all taken pride in the term and also used it in a self-deprecating manner, as Polaks like myself do with our moniker. 

Over the years, in the Ottawa Valley, I have encountered a great many people that have migrated from Newfoundland and settled here. Reasons often sited have to do with finding better work or staying after going to school here. They are a vibrant and colourful people. They are very hard workers who also enjoy a good time. At any party, you will find them lingering in the kitchen, which is appropriate as they are strongly identified with the kitchen party concept.

east coast trail, the rock (courtesy eric praetzel)

When the boy ended up in CHEO when he was eleven days old and required surgery, his surgeon was a Newf. Great fellow, very smart, very competent. However, most Newfies I know work in the Canadian federal government. It is most interesting, as they were the last province to join Confederation in 1949. (With the new territory of Nunavut, joining fifty years and a day later.)

So, I have seen a similar pattern with Sudburians. (They need a better nickname though.) When I attended The University of Ottawa, I met loads of Suburyites (?). Most were Francophone. Which is appropriate as Ottawa U (one of its non-nasty nicknames), is an official Franco-Ontarian university. Many of these Sudburgonians (?) came here for an education and stayed. Many Sudburtans (?) too work in the federal government. Many also work in high-tech. My friend Denis works in high-tech, while his the wife works for the feds; obviously I mention them as they began their journey on this planet in Sudbury.

mont adam, the big nickel (courtesy snapdragon)

As with Newfies, Sudburites (?) are very hard workers who also enjoy a good time, often ending up in the kitchen during gatherings. I have even seen Denis dance a very Atlantic / Maritime jig. (Man I wish I filmed it, it was really awesome.) Similarly, to the rocky isle of Newfoundland, Sudbury is a very rocky place, known for its mining and also a geological training ground for American astronauts.

So, why do Newfoundlanders and Sudburbians (?) end up in the Ottawa Valley? I have no idea, but they are everywhere in these parts. One of my former fellow Scouters is from The Rock, two of my current fellow Scouters are from Nickel City. 

Hang on a minute now! Another current fellow Scouter is from The Hammer, like me!! I have met an inordinate number of people in the Valley in the last few years from Hamilrock!!! (A nickname I came up with years ago as a(n) homage to Bedrock from the Flintstones, others are Hamilstone, and Hamilburg.)  

As with Newfies and Sudburbans (?), I too believe Hammerheads (I made that one up too, I do not think it will catch on though, at least not in a positive manner) are very hard workers who enjoy a good time. I myself, normally end up in the kitchen during gatherings. Not so many are working for the feds, but still. The Hammer too is quite a rocky place, straddling the Niagara Escarpment.

albion falls, hamilton "mountain", my old stomping grounds, literally (courtesy raisethehammer.org)

What is going on here?! Are Hamiltonians the Newfies of Southern Ontario??!! Or the Sudbuckers (?)???!!! Am I a Hamil-Newf-Sudbourbon????!!!! Jumping Jehoshaphat?????!!!!! 

Well, I guess everyone is more alike than anyone realised. It does not matter where you come from or where you end up, there you are. Enjoy the not-so-diverse company.

holy snow

So, when we got home on Monday from Hamilton we could not pull in to the driveway. There was about 30 cm (12 inches) of snow in our way, officially. I say officially, as that is the official record, but it was at least 45-60 cm that I saw in our driveway. The wife's car definitely had at least a foot-and-a-half of snow piled on it. In addition to what nature provided, the municipal plow chucked in at least two more feet (high and deep) at the base of the driveway of hard, compact, dirty snow and ice. 

what we came home to on monday

They used to block the driveway all the time. Until I bitched at the city and my councillor. That was back in the hellacious winter of 2007-2008. The final straw came when about a four foot high and deep pile was left in the driveway of the same kind of snow this past Monday, but even worse. The kicker that time was that there was not much of a snow fall that day. The problem is that the plows come off a main road and our driveway is the first driveway that the snow can spill in to. That year they smashed the Bell box, took out the street signs on the corner, it was awful. When I complained, as I refused to clean it out and my truck was blocking the road in a manner that would make it difficult for traffic to pass by, the councillor sent a front-end loader to clear it out. After that, the plow made a point of not blocking our driveway at all. What was left of the winter, we had it pretty good. The odd guy with a blade on his truck would even push a bunch of snow out of the laneway if they saw me working away at it.

the winter I bitched at the city, the photo does not do it justice

Now, they have been pretty darned good these past nine years. Until Monday. The difference for me this time, is that my buddy Pete gave his snow blower to us this year as he sold his house and no longer needed it. An older heavy-duty Sears Craftsman pig of a blower. Wow, it is awesome. What would have taken at least three to four hours was done in about one.

So, I went out to Russell last night to meet with a Venturer Scout Company. No problem. The forecast was less than 1 cm (less ½ inch). Well, before I left the meeting the wife texted that she had returned home after driving about a dozen kilometres (7½ miles) after attempting to take the boy to his HEMA training. She was on the left side (the wrong side) of the road several times as visibility was crap and you could not see where the road actually was.

Well, I was in for a treat. After the meeting, I cleared the truck off and headed home. Several times I was on the left (wrong) side, in the middle of the road, and on the right shoulder. I could not see where the road actually was and visibility was very crap. Fortunately, other than a bunch of vehicles coming in to Russell, the roads were pretty clear of traffic and I got home alright. This morning, at least 20 cm ( 8 inches) more had fallen and no snow plowed in to the driveway. Yeah! The official tally: 5 cm (2 inches). Polar bear poop! Definitely at least four times that.

I had errands to run today, so I cleaned the truck off and decided to snow blow later. I made a few stops all heading in to the city. I picked up some Four Roses Bourbon, there are only three places in my area where I can get it, so that was first, and some wine for the wife. Then further into the bowels of the city: grocery store for ice cream ingredients for the wife (she is making Mexican chocolate and chili ice cream for dinner at friends' this weekend), cookie ingredients for me as I am making cookies for our Baden-Powell Day (officially, Scout-Guide Week) dinner at the Scout Group next week, a couple of additions for tonight's supper, and kale for the boy's lizard. And a couple of other stops.

spike, the boy's mali uromastyx

Get home, park on the street. Take everything in, put on the old combat boots and one of several Muskoka Dinner Jackets (aka Mackinaw) I have and get that blower blowing. Less than thirty minutes and I am done. So, I used to hate clearing snow, but this past weekend as I mentioned in an earlier post, I do not seem to mind it any more. I enjoy it in an odd way. It has become meditative. It is even calming while snow blowing, I just need to find some ear plugs.

today

While I was in the city, I was talking to a lad working at a store and he mentioned that Sydney, Nova Scotia, where is father is, has gotten it much worse than us. Officially, they got about 45 cm (18 inches) on Monday, but where his dad is, they got 60 cm (2 feet). That and winds up to 90 km/h (55 mph). In the lad's words, "They are getting crushed!" Well, we did not get crushed here in the Valley, but it reminds one; that, for all the beauty and splendour that nature provides, it is not to be trifled with. Hopefully, the snow clearing for the rest of the winter remains Zen-like.

a muskoka dinner jacket

this confident looking stripling is actually just wearing a plaid shirt, but i like the image

movies you have to watch

One of my all-time favourite movies is The Great Escape. When it came on television I would watch it. Every time. It could be at the beginning, middle, near the end. It did not matter. I would watch it. I would do my homework to it, humming along to the music. I could be on my way to play outside, I would invite my friends over to "play" so I could watch the film.

I am huge fan of Steve McQueen (as an actor) and James Garner. McQueen was a fantastic actor: The Sand Pebbles, LeMans, The Magnificent Seven, The Blob, Papillon, The Hunter and many more. Garner too: The Rockford Files, Maverick, Decoration Day, Grand Prix, and many comedic roles. There are many other fantastic actors in The Great Escape as well: Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Donald Pleasence, Hannes Messemer, Angus Lennie, and many more.

garner as flight lieutenant robert hendley being stopped in his attempts to "scrounge" something (scrounged from tv-spoty.info)

I even cut up a sweatshirt to look like McQueen's character: Captain Virgil Hilts. I still have it. The characters in the film were influenced by real-life people. Some were compilations, some outright grafting of prisoners of Stalag Luft III. These people were inspirational in their desire to escape and return to the fight for freedom. I myself found it inspiring, rousing, exhilarating.

mcqueen and the sweatshirt (lifted from pinterest.com)

So, when VHS came along and we finally got a player, the first movie I ever bought was, you guessed it, The Great Escape. Then, when DVD came out, I got a DVD copy. Then a deluxe version came out years later, I got that too. I still have all three. I used to travel with the tape or disc to have something to watch, just in case if there was nothing else to do. 

A funny thing, even though I had a copy on tape, then DVD, I would still watch it when it came on television. It had a svengali-like hold on me. The wife would look at me and ask: "Don't you have a copy of this movie?" "Yes." "Why don't you put it on then and watch it from the beginning and skip the commercials?" "I don't know?!" She thought it was the weirdest thing. I guess it was kind of odd. For whatever reason, if I came across it on cable tv, I just sat down and watched it, running to the kitchen at commercial breaks for snacks, or the bathroom to pee, or what have you; yelling over my shoulder to tell me if it came back on while I was out of the room.

Now, the wife for all her bemusement with this curiosity, had a film with a similar effect her : The Cutting Edge. She was not so fanatical as myself, but she would watch it when it came on television. It is not a particularly stellar film and the wife knows that, but it still captivated her for some unknown magical reason. So, a familiar conversation would ensue as with my loyalty to The Great Escape: "Don't you have a copy of this movie?" "Yes." "Why don't you put it on then and watch it from the beginning and skip the commercials?" "I don't know?!"

Well, there you have it. I suspect everyone has a film or television show, that when an unexpected opportunity to view it arises, they will be taken in its hold and revel in it. For some, it may be a guilty pleasure; to others, like myself, some unexplainable devotion. The wife and I have not had cable television for many years, resulting from a boycott due to poor relations and customer service with the local cable company, but every now and again if we are somewhere where there is piped in programming and our "show" is on, forget it, we are lost. It is a fascinating phenomenon, is it not?

the wife's catnip (ultimately courtesy of mgm.com)

volkswagen drivers - das böneheads

Back in the Ottawa Valley, but let me tell you: from the beginning of December last year through this trip back home, I have been struggling with Volkswagen drivers. In fact, this has been going on for years, but it has been really bad since just before Christmas.

I have driven down to Hamilton twice and all over the Valley in the last two-and-a-half months and VW drivers keep getting in the way, and not in a good way. They are driving too slow and blocking lanes. They are driving too fast and causing people to react in unpredictable ways. They are cutting off other vehicles, including mine. They are changing lanes or turning and not signalling. Mostly, all-round aggressive or clueless driving.

So many frustrating actions, they cannot all be tabulated. When I was a young lad, it always seemed to be Volvo drivers. I think it had something to do with the high praise it received as a safe vehicle. Volvo drivers somehow thought that since they drove a safe vehicle, they could do what they wanted on the roads. It appears the same attitude now resides with VW doofuses. Except the VW has not received so much high praise lately.

Of course not all VW drivers are driving with blinders on and not all of these dinks are VW drivers. However, these guys take first place. Now, when I see one of these "Das Auto" wieners, I prepare for some careless driving. Let me tell you, I am rarely disappointed. 

Apparently, South Africans agree, there are several posts on VW forums by VW drivers, asking why VW drivers blow. Lots of theories. However, age is irrelevant; young, old, and everything in between have fouled me on the roads. Fast, slow, and everything in between have fouled me on the roads. The wife and the boy have noticed it too and commented.

Honestly, the only conclusion I can come up with is that it is the type of people who buy them. They are inconsiderate asses, plain and simple. I have known a few who are not. Yes, James you are one of the not asses. Yet, my brother had two Passat Synchros, he very often could be one of the asses, regardless of how very good a driver he actually was.

It has truly turned me off completely from ever wanting to own any type of VW. I do not want to be lumped in with those clot-heads.When the ads say "drivers wanted", they left out an adjective. So, when you are out there on the highways and byways, keep your eyes peeled for "the people's car" and their bönehead drivers.

what the ads should have said

weather - snow and relaxing

So, still in Hamilton and back at the mother-in-law's. We just sorted out her turntable, just needed a power supply for the pre-amp. We are now listening to the Hits of the Blitz. It is quite soothing with all the snow coming down the last several hours.

I love snow, but I generally hate shovelling. Yet, today I have shovelled two driveways and had great fun. It was quite relaxing as well. I love big, heavy snowfalls. It is extremely beautiful when everything gets a coating of white. The roads are no longer filthy and slushy (for a while). The farm fields are great vistas of alabaster. The trees turn into cloudy puffballs.

Hey! I just saw a cardinal in the backyard!! One of my favourite birds. A handsome devil.

This is what Sunday afternoons should be about. Relaxing, listening to mellow music, enjoying nature, maybe a read, small fun chores.

The snow has slackened off and I have just been outside filling all the birdfeeders around the house. So, I am going to sign-off and get a book and read and glance up every now and again to enjoy the birds feeding and flitting around. You should too.

Enjoy the show nature has to offer.

one of no less than three cardinals at the feeders