Realizing that I have not written in such a long time has motivated me to make another blog entry. Hopefully I'm not blogging in a vacuum and someone out there is reading this!
Recently, I've been thinking about living overseas, and the kinds of crazy things that you tend to pay for just because you can't get them normally.
Living abroad for over two years, I've found that most of the things that I've wanted (maybe 90% of them) are available at some point, somewhere, either at a Brick and Mortar, or at an online seller.
The other 10%, I just bring with me when I go back home, and carry two suitcases. The funny thing is, many of the things that I purchase are made overseas where I live, just not available here.
Socks, Towels, Windshield Wipers for the car, Bed sheets, shower curtains, are some of the things that I bring back with me!
Living in a smaller city doesn't help, but figuring out how to use the online auction/buying sure as heck does.
So lets look at the things that I DON'T buy local brands for and pay a lot more for....
The things in italics are actually imported Everything else is available locally but is still considered a foreign brand.
Toilet Paper (Kleenex Brand) - Korea
Tide Detergent
Shaving Cream
Cereal - Korea
Dog Food - Korea
Kraft Mac and Cheese - USA
Juices - USA/etc
Peanut Butter - USA
You really don't realize how much you love and miss that comfort of that Kraft Dinner Mac and Cheese till you click "Buy it now" online and pay 7 dollars American for that box of pasta and powdered cheese product....
What are some of the things that you can't find where you live, and do you still have to go get them from 'back home'?
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Texas on my mind....
I've
been on quite a few adventures. For the National Holiday, XB, one
of my guys that works for me got married, and I was invited to his
wedding (also had to give a speech about his work ethic and what a great
job he does), my aunt came in from Taiwan, and we had a nice visit, I
took her to the grape festival, out to eat at a nice sushi place, and
met some friends that I made here. Overall a very nice time! She's my
first foreign visitor! She left on Saturday, and I had Sunday and Monday
to recover.
The first weekend in October, XB my right
hand guy, Took me to Huangdao, which is across the water from
Qingdao. We drove the longest bridge in the world to get there. In
fact, we had such a good time driving and talking that we ended up
overshooting the exit for huangdao, which was ok, because we ended up in
a very rural area of China, all farmland. It was beautiful, and I'm
bummed that I didn't get a chance to take pictures, but I was
driving. XB and his wife and I explored Huangdao in the
afternoon, and had a nice time. XBs wife teaches college english
there but since she lives on campus, has not had a chance to explore the
town, as her weekends are usually in qingdao with XB
.
.
The second weekend, I took it easy, saw friends, and
Sunday went to Church and ran errands. This past weekend, I was
recovering from a cold, which was no match for Nyquil and Dayquil and
Mucinex, so I got some CHinese medicine, which worked slow, but yielded
results!
This past weekend, another one of my guys got married, and again, I had to do the wedding speech as the boss and talk about work ethic and marriage. Its interesting how much weight they put on your job and how much of a part of your life it becomes, so much that the bosses have their own table at the wedding! Sunday, I met with my friends that are in China from Washington state. We went to Jimo Lu, which is the equivalent of silk street in Beijing (if you're from Houston, think of Harwin Shopping district). There, they had street vendors with food, produce, clothes etc, and that was just on the OUTSIDE of the shopping center. We enjoyed a giant Fritter (Yiu Tiao), as well as some Stinky Tofu (Will, the guy in the picture didn't like it, but his mother, who lived in Taiwan for a few years, enjoyed it). Bought some fresh fruits, and then ended the evening at Burger King at Marina City, along the water. Burger King was actually really terrible, as they just opened, and everyone and their dog was there, so instead of making your order when you pay for it, there's tons of Hamburgers premade. The result is a cold, nasty, soggy burger. I'll come back when they're not so busy and see if the food is better.
This past weekend, another one of my guys got married, and again, I had to do the wedding speech as the boss and talk about work ethic and marriage. Its interesting how much weight they put on your job and how much of a part of your life it becomes, so much that the bosses have their own table at the wedding! Sunday, I met with my friends that are in China from Washington state. We went to Jimo Lu, which is the equivalent of silk street in Beijing (if you're from Houston, think of Harwin Shopping district). There, they had street vendors with food, produce, clothes etc, and that was just on the OUTSIDE of the shopping center. We enjoyed a giant Fritter (Yiu Tiao), as well as some Stinky Tofu (Will, the guy in the picture didn't like it, but his mother, who lived in Taiwan for a few years, enjoyed it). Bought some fresh fruits, and then ended the evening at Burger King at Marina City, along the water. Burger King was actually really terrible, as they just opened, and everyone and their dog was there, so instead of making your order when you pay for it, there's tons of Hamburgers premade. The result is a cold, nasty, soggy burger. I'll come back when they're not so busy and see if the food is better.
Work is going good, if not just constantly frantic. I've
learned quite a bit since taking over the role as operations manager,
and one of the biggest things that I've discovered since becoming a
manager, is that your productivity level generally decreases, because
you're being pulled in 100 different directions in a day. Some of the
biggest headaches are HR issues. Employees that dont pull their weight,
employees that fight, slack off, etc. Now I really understand why its
hard to get a response from managers, because they're too busy putting
out little fires every day. On the good side, you do get to work with
people and the people that are on my team are all eager to learn. I
just need to find the fine line between being friendly while still
trying to be the boss.
The weather here has cooled signifcantly, and the days
are getting shorter. IT runs in the mid 50s at night and mid 70s in the
daytime. Kody is doing well, the cooler weather has him shedding his
summer coat and growing in the winter fur! Kody has also made a new
friend, Yiu Yiu is a Collie that lives in the first building in my strip
of apartment buildings. Shes a beautiful dog, and we run into her a
few times a week when we go out for walks. Her owners are nice people,
and we have a great visit every time we run into eachother.
Dining has been an adventure, as I've been eating local fare, and I've attached some pictures of the goodness for your drooling pleasure.
Dining has been an adventure, as I've been eating local fare, and I've attached some pictures of the goodness for your drooling pleasure.
The House in Katy is
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and I'm excited that Jennifer and John and the girls are coming. Then after that, I'll be home on the 17th for about 3 weeks! Looking forward to catching up with everyone if our schedules allow for it.
Miss you all and would love to hear from you!
Peace and love,
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and I'm excited that Jennifer and John and the girls are coming. Then after that, I'll be home on the 17th for about 3 weeks! Looking forward to catching up with everyone if our schedules allow for it.
Miss you all and would love to hear from you!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Life ain't always beautiful.....
Howdy everyone!
Well its been three weeks since I sent an update, so maybe theres more exciting stuff to talk about! My biggest fear is people will lose interest, but the last week people are sending "wheres the update? Are you still alive? I'm bored, give me reading material!" Haha! OK OK, here we go!
This weeks theme song is "Life Ain't Always beautiful" by Gary Allan
So, since my last update, life is pretty much settled into its own routine. Work, weekends, church, etc. My circle of friends is slowly growing.
A few weeks ago, the power company had a 'planned outage'
on a Tuesday, so I took my guys to the Grape Festival, which was
basically going to an agricultural area, and paying for entry into a
farmers land, and you can pick your own, or they can pick them for you,
and you eat grapes, play cards, visit etc. It was fun, later we had
lunch at a Korean Place. Nice day overall.
Church has been improving a lot, with the teachers all
coming back, church is busy and people reach out and are very social.
I've met more people and I get invited to different groups for lunch
afterwards! The only downside is that it takes a LARGE portion of my
sunday, as I leave the house at 9AM and I dont get home till 3PM or
later if I eat lunch.
I have to own that I have quickly grown complacent in not
taking more weekend day trips. I'm in a foreign country, I have a car, a
license and GPS. I should be taking lots more adventures. I am saying
this to own it and start doing more stuff on the weekends. There are
tons of small towns that I can drive to within an hour or two and make
it back by evening to let Kody out in time.
On the Work front, its been challenging and sometimes
downright incensing. Progress is slow on projects and people are
unwilling to deviate from protocol, and people are thinking very two
dimensionally. ("I'm a mechanical engineer and thats all I'm going to
do"), well this has to change. I had a pep talk with the troops this
week, and explained that we all have to be more dynamic, more flexible.
Also I've implemented a new dress code that goes into effect soon. No
more shorts and t shirts and flip flops. We are all professionals with
college degrees. No more dressing like you're going to the beach. And
its good for self esteem too. Last week I had to go to the engineering
center and find out why it was taking so long. One of the guys says
that he sent an email to a colleague asking for information and never
got a reply.
"When did you email him?"
"When did you email him?"
"August 23rd"
"So you emailed this guy over a month ago and he didnt reply. Where is his office?"
"He sits 2 rows behind me."
"So you didn't think that it would be a good idea to just go over and ask him?"
*Blank stare*
I
had to remind them that we're all very busy, but when someone else is
holding up the work, you need to gently remind them that they are. But
people generally are too afraid to ask a second time once the request
has been made.
The house here keeps improving little by
little. I got new area rugs (plain) but it sure helps with the noise
and Kody likes them too. I bought some for the office to spruce it up
some as well.
The house in Katy is almost back to snuff. Big thanks to
my Mom and Stepdad, the best neighbors in the world, Nick and Ally, my
incredibly talented decorator Sharon, and my great contractor Mark. If
you want to do business with the last two folks on this list, I will
heartily recommend them.
RIght now, fruits and veggies are so fresh and
inexpensive. My supper has been fruits and salad for dinner. After
walking Kody in the afternoon, I put the podcast of "Americas Test
Kitchen" on the ipad, and I wash and peel fruit in the kitchen. Its
very nice and makes it feel more at 'home'. Speaking of home, I have
been reflecting lots on how great it is to have email, facetime, skype
and google voice. Being able to communicate so seamlessly has been a
blessing. Takes the sting of not being at home and makes it less.
Last week, we had a "mid autumn festival" where people
celebrate the fall and enjoy moon cakes, as well as see friends and
family. Next week is Chinas national holiday, and I'll be off the
entire week. My aunt Joyce from Taiwan will be visiting for a few days,
so I'm very excited about that. Also my right hand man at my company
is getting married, so I'll be attending the wedding. I plan on taking
Aunt Joyce to go enjoy some local food, sight see and enjoy time with
her. I've been introduced toa bunch of local restaurants now, so its
been nice to be able to go there and take friends!
I know lots of you have heard me write about how
inexpensive things are in CHina, but thats not always the case. I went
to the Toyota dealer last saturday to get the oil changed in my car, and
was quoted almost 200 US dollars for a plain oil change. I ended up
finding a local place where I have been before and they did it for 100
US Dollars. A regular pair of Jeans, like Lee or Levis that you can get
at Walmart or Academy for 20-30 dollars, is 90-200 US dollars here.
And then you can walk down the street to the hair salon and get a
haircut and shampoo for 3 dollars with no tipping. Go figure.
Last weekend, I had to go to Korea for a day because of
my visa expiring. The Incheon airport is very western, with nice clean
and welcoming feelings throuhgout. Its very "zen" feeling, warm wood,
shiny stainless steel. They have a museum of Korean history inside the
airport, a cultural experience center, a day spa, all kinds of shopping,
cosmetics, electronics, books, etc and TONS of restaurants. I spent
half a day there and didn't even leave the international terminal. It
was fantastic! I had a nice juicy cheeseburger and a dunkin donut!
Other than that, not much else to report. I'm homesick as always but I'm surviving. Jennifers husband, John, is back from Deployment and home safe, so I'm very grateful for that. I'm excited for their visit to China.
Other than that, not much else to report. I'm homesick as always but I'm surviving. Jennifers husband, John, is back from Deployment and home safe, so I'm very grateful for that. I'm excited for their visit to China.
Peace and Love!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Autumn Tactics
This installments "Theme song"
Is "Autumn tactics" by Chicane
Is "Autumn tactics" by Chicane
Last week, my clothes dryer came in! Most people in
China dont use clothes dryers, but if those of you have dried towels in
the sun, you can appreciate what it feels like to use 400 grit sandpaper
to dry yourself with. I was able to get one for a great price and I'm
so happy to have soft towels, sheets and socks. The things we take for
granted.
I also finally passed my driving exam! You need 90% or
higher to get it, and I had to take it three times. Mostly because of
'lost in translation" and strange chinese driving laws. For example, in
China, when a car is rolling out of control on a hill, you must put
your seat all the way back, unbuckle and get on the floorboard and hug
the steering column....Or Jump out of the car if you know its going to
flip over. My favorite is for the driver to crouch into the fetal
position and holding your knees, and turning to the side in the event of
a head on collision.
Much peace and love!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Ford Customer Service...what customer service?
Many of you know that I am a HUGE Ford fan. I bleed blue. I have driven nothing but Fords since before I got my license. Lots of Crown Vics, F-Series, Mustangs, Super Duties, Marauders, a Five Hundred, a Countour SVT, and most recently I ordered a 2010 Taurus SHO about a year ago. I have always recommend Ford products to my friends, and many of them are very pleased with their purchases. I guess I got bit on this one.
Well, she arrived right before Valentines Day 2010. I loved her from the Get-go, she was pretty, she was fast, and stealthy. I special ordered because nobody had what I wanted. I wanted the Performance Pack, which had special brakes, a different axle ratio, and stiffer springs and struts. It was worth the wait.
So around June of this year, I notice that when I'm leaving the neighborhood, the engine stutters/falters a little when I'm waiting for the light to turn green. This happened every day, and to the point where I started trying with the A/C on, A/C off, etc. Still did it.
It concerned me, and I made a note to take it in to the dealer to have it looked at. Around September, the brakes exhibited a groaning noise at low speeds, and I also noticed, while moving the car down the driveway, I noticed a clicking noise when going from Park to Reverse, and then Reverse to drive. This was enough to warrant taking the car in to be looked at.
I took the car into Tommie Vaughn Ford in Houston, where I bought the car from. They had the car in for three days. Their solution was to reflash the PCM, perform the brake TSB, which addressed the groan, and clearly stated, for Performance Package Taurus SHOs, NOT TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS. Guess what? They replaced the pads. When I picked the car up, I read the paperwork and pointed out to the advisor that the TSB was performed incorrectly. The advisor also told me that the clicking noise was gone. He offered to change the pads back to the original ones, however, I had no time, so I just got them back and left.
When I got the car back, I noticed that the clicking noise was still present, as well as the rough idle, to the point where the car died, however, immediately restarted. I called the Dealer and talked to my advisor, and explained that I was really disappointed. I buy from Tommie Vaughn for the good reputation. I took it for service there because thats where the car was purchased. I know Ford doesn't offer loaner cars unless you buy extended warranty, so I didnt expect them to provide me with alternate wheels, but I asked what his suggestion would be to resolve this problem. He told me to bring the car in and they would give me something to drive. I took the car in again. This time, they kept the car for 9 Days. I drove to the credit union to make a car payment in a rental car.
I picked the car up, they replaced the spark plugs, and the brake pads (to the correct ones) and the Brake Calipers. Supposedly the cause of the clicking noise. When I picked the car up and left, I noticed that the brakes didnt feel quite right. I brushed it off as to having driven a different car for a week and I'd get used to it. Well, when I left the office that evening, first stoplight, the brake pedal goes to the floor. To add insult to injury, while waiting for the light to turn green, the car exhibits the rough idle again. I immediately called the dealer. He advised me to bring it in.
Over the weekend and part of the next week, I drove my other vehicle, because I did not feel safe driving the car in the way that it was with the soft brakes. I did take the car in, around November 16th and I met with the Service writer, as well as the Service manager. I explained my frustration that this was the THIRD time the car was going in. He assured me that this would be taken care of and put me in another rental car. I suggested getting a Field Service Engineer involved or Ford direct. Later that week, my advisor called and said that they found #1 Cylinder was 'dropping out' and coming back. Ford techline advised them to move the spark plug and coil somewhere else to see if the 'drop out' followed. It did not. Ford techline suggests that the dealer replace the fuel injector, so they "emergency ordered" an injector. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I got a call stating that the injector was in, and the technician would be installing the injector to see if the problem was fixed. Friday, I called the dealer and talked to the service advisor, and he told me that the tech that was working on my car was on vacation, and that I would need to check back on Monday. Monday, my advisor calls me and says that the Shop Foreman actually drove my car and the problem was still present. So the FSE told them that they wanted to swap the computer, and could I bring my other key to the dealership, since they would need to reprogram both keys. I took my spare key to the dealer and my service writer was not there.
I spoke to the service manager after he got back from lunch. I asked him for an update, which he was not aware of any further updates. I told him to keep "throwing parts" at the car until they had it fixed. He said "Well, we're not throwing parts at it, we're diagnosing." Lets see. You have reflashed the PCM, Replaced Spark Plugs, Moved Coils, replaced the Fuel Injector, and now, you want to change the PCM. If thats not throwing parts at the problem I'm not sure what is.
Later that week, my advisor called and told me that the SHO they had on their lot that they were planning on swapping PCMs with did not match my car, however, when they pulled the spark plug on #1, the technician saw "Something Shiny" down the plug hole. So the Ford Engineer asked them to pull the head. The advisor thought that the engine would have to be removed for this operation and I tended to agree with him. This was around December 3. Over the weekend, I went to the dealer and took photos of my car sitting on the rack, which the exhaust unbolted, in various stages of disassembly. Looked like they were well on their way.
Tuesday, December 7th, I called the dealer for an update. The advisor had left, so I talked to the Service manager. He advised that they were told to pull heads by the Ford Engineer. Which I already knew. He claimed that the engine did NOT have to be removed.
Wednesday, December 8th, My advisor called around noon to tell me that the heads were off and the valves were "Carboned up" Like you would not believe. Then he starts asking me about what kind of Gasoline I used. I told him, Premium, only Chevron or Shell. Then he told me that the service manager said that only 87 should be used. I told him that I thought this was incorrect, they may want to check the owners manual in the car, as well as on the gas tank door. 87 Octane is acceptable, however, 91 or better is recommended for optimum performance in the SHO motor.
So here we have it folks. As of December 10th, 2010, I have a car that has been in the shop for a total of thirty six days. I have made two payments to the bank in a rental car.
Frustrated? Yes.
Angry? Yes.
Feel like I'm not being taken seriously by Ford or the Dealer? Yes.
Maybe its a lemon I have, but I feel like I'm not being given priority or consideration in this matter. The dealer blames it on their lack of Knowledge on the Ecoboost engine. I don't care what it is at this point. I'm tired of being jerked around and tired of being told one story to the next. I've always been a Ford product advocate and right now, I feel like its a huge slap in the face. I have a damn near 40,000 dollar paperweight that I don't see or get to use. Instead, I'm driving a Budget rent a car Hyundai. Thanks a lot Ford.
Well, she arrived right before Valentines Day 2010. I loved her from the Get-go, she was pretty, she was fast, and stealthy. I special ordered because nobody had what I wanted. I wanted the Performance Pack, which had special brakes, a different axle ratio, and stiffer springs and struts. It was worth the wait.
So around June of this year, I notice that when I'm leaving the neighborhood, the engine stutters/falters a little when I'm waiting for the light to turn green. This happened every day, and to the point where I started trying with the A/C on, A/C off, etc. Still did it.
It concerned me, and I made a note to take it in to the dealer to have it looked at. Around September, the brakes exhibited a groaning noise at low speeds, and I also noticed, while moving the car down the driveway, I noticed a clicking noise when going from Park to Reverse, and then Reverse to drive. This was enough to warrant taking the car in to be looked at.
I took the car into Tommie Vaughn Ford in Houston, where I bought the car from. They had the car in for three days. Their solution was to reflash the PCM, perform the brake TSB, which addressed the groan, and clearly stated, for Performance Package Taurus SHOs, NOT TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS. Guess what? They replaced the pads. When I picked the car up, I read the paperwork and pointed out to the advisor that the TSB was performed incorrectly. The advisor also told me that the clicking noise was gone. He offered to change the pads back to the original ones, however, I had no time, so I just got them back and left.
When I got the car back, I noticed that the clicking noise was still present, as well as the rough idle, to the point where the car died, however, immediately restarted. I called the Dealer and talked to my advisor, and explained that I was really disappointed. I buy from Tommie Vaughn for the good reputation. I took it for service there because thats where the car was purchased. I know Ford doesn't offer loaner cars unless you buy extended warranty, so I didnt expect them to provide me with alternate wheels, but I asked what his suggestion would be to resolve this problem. He told me to bring the car in and they would give me something to drive. I took the car in again. This time, they kept the car for 9 Days. I drove to the credit union to make a car payment in a rental car.
I picked the car up, they replaced the spark plugs, and the brake pads (to the correct ones) and the Brake Calipers. Supposedly the cause of the clicking noise. When I picked the car up and left, I noticed that the brakes didnt feel quite right. I brushed it off as to having driven a different car for a week and I'd get used to it. Well, when I left the office that evening, first stoplight, the brake pedal goes to the floor. To add insult to injury, while waiting for the light to turn green, the car exhibits the rough idle again. I immediately called the dealer. He advised me to bring it in.
Over the weekend and part of the next week, I drove my other vehicle, because I did not feel safe driving the car in the way that it was with the soft brakes. I did take the car in, around November 16th and I met with the Service writer, as well as the Service manager. I explained my frustration that this was the THIRD time the car was going in. He assured me that this would be taken care of and put me in another rental car. I suggested getting a Field Service Engineer involved or Ford direct. Later that week, my advisor called and said that they found #1 Cylinder was 'dropping out' and coming back. Ford techline advised them to move the spark plug and coil somewhere else to see if the 'drop out' followed. It did not. Ford techline suggests that the dealer replace the fuel injector, so they "emergency ordered" an injector. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I got a call stating that the injector was in, and the technician would be installing the injector to see if the problem was fixed. Friday, I called the dealer and talked to the service advisor, and he told me that the tech that was working on my car was on vacation, and that I would need to check back on Monday. Monday, my advisor calls me and says that the Shop Foreman actually drove my car and the problem was still present. So the FSE told them that they wanted to swap the computer, and could I bring my other key to the dealership, since they would need to reprogram both keys. I took my spare key to the dealer and my service writer was not there.
I spoke to the service manager after he got back from lunch. I asked him for an update, which he was not aware of any further updates. I told him to keep "throwing parts" at the car until they had it fixed. He said "Well, we're not throwing parts at it, we're diagnosing." Lets see. You have reflashed the PCM, Replaced Spark Plugs, Moved Coils, replaced the Fuel Injector, and now, you want to change the PCM. If thats not throwing parts at the problem I'm not sure what is.
Later that week, my advisor called and told me that the SHO they had on their lot that they were planning on swapping PCMs with did not match my car, however, when they pulled the spark plug on #1, the technician saw "Something Shiny" down the plug hole. So the Ford Engineer asked them to pull the head. The advisor thought that the engine would have to be removed for this operation and I tended to agree with him. This was around December 3. Over the weekend, I went to the dealer and took photos of my car sitting on the rack, which the exhaust unbolted, in various stages of disassembly. Looked like they were well on their way.
Tuesday, December 7th, I called the dealer for an update. The advisor had left, so I talked to the Service manager. He advised that they were told to pull heads by the Ford Engineer. Which I already knew. He claimed that the engine did NOT have to be removed.
Wednesday, December 8th, My advisor called around noon to tell me that the heads were off and the valves were "Carboned up" Like you would not believe. Then he starts asking me about what kind of Gasoline I used. I told him, Premium, only Chevron or Shell. Then he told me that the service manager said that only 87 should be used. I told him that I thought this was incorrect, they may want to check the owners manual in the car, as well as on the gas tank door. 87 Octane is acceptable, however, 91 or better is recommended for optimum performance in the SHO motor.
So here we have it folks. As of December 10th, 2010, I have a car that has been in the shop for a total of thirty six days. I have made two payments to the bank in a rental car.
Frustrated? Yes.
Angry? Yes.
Feel like I'm not being taken seriously by Ford or the Dealer? Yes.
Maybe its a lemon I have, but I feel like I'm not being given priority or consideration in this matter. The dealer blames it on their lack of Knowledge on the Ecoboost engine. I don't care what it is at this point. I'm tired of being jerked around and tired of being told one story to the next. I've always been a Ford product advocate and right now, I feel like its a huge slap in the face. I have a damn near 40,000 dollar paperweight that I don't see or get to use. Instead, I'm driving a Budget rent a car Hyundai. Thanks a lot Ford.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Test drive of the 2011 Ford F150's new Engine Lineup
You guys know, I bleed blue. I'm a die hard Ford man.
Ford has been making bold moves in the past few years.
More frequent refreshes and new exciting product lines, and killing dead weight (note: Ranger, E-Series and Panthers are NOT dead weight. Refresh THEM PLEASE!)
On Saturday I went and drove the F-Series to try their new engine lineup.
My impressions is that the new Ecoboost F150 is a fast truck, the way the power ramps up is very deceptive, but if you look at the speedometer, you're going at a good clip.
They set up 1/8 mile tracks and let people race each other in all the powertrains, 3.7L V6, 3.5L Ecoboost, 5.0 V8, and a 6.2L Harley truck. Also a Hemi powered Ram Quad Cab and a 5.3L Z71 Silverado ext cab were there to drive/compare.
My best time was run in a Ecoboost 4x4 Supercrew launching in 4Hi (hehe). Ford has hit a home run with this setup. The Ecoboost trucks have lots of insulation along the hood edges and sides to attenuate sound to not give you the feeling that you're driving with a 'smaller' engine. The exhaust note at WOT sounds a little raspy, but you can tell Ford spent some money researching how to get the exhaust to sound decent. NVH is almost nil, and you really dont know its a V6 unless you have a trained ear.
The 5.0L V8 is a smooth engine, with its Modular roots but so much better, it is most definitely refined. I was impressed with the changes Ford made to set the engine up for Truck Duty. Feels different than when in the Mustang App. Still sounds like a mod motor starting up though. Slick 6 Speed Auto is across this whole range of trucks.
The 6.2L Harley truck was by far the best sounding and driving truck there. The 6.2L exhaust on the Harley truck sounds like a NASCAR exhaust at WOT. Ford has done an excellent job with this motor. The truck felt the fastest out of the group, but the Ecoboost was faster on paper (at least to my time slips)
Next they had the Tow area, which had a Loaded Mega Cab Hemi Ram and a Silverado hooked to trailers filled with 6000 lbs in the back, and a group of F150 Supercrew 4x2 and 4x4, all with Ecoboost engines.
Does anyone notice that Ford did not offer a 5.7L or 4.6L Tundra for us to try?
I drove the Ram first, found it to be decent on power but having to work it hard to get it to move at a good pace with the trailer.
Next I hopped into a Supercrew FX4 with the Ecoboost and a 3.73 rear end. This truck moves good with a load. Again, its deceptive because you look down at the speedometer and you're moving faster than you thought. With a load, the power delivery is still very smooth, and the braking and trailer sway control all work awesome. You do have to work that Ecoboost to get the truck to get on the freeways, but thats what it was designed to do, with the turbos, provide that V8 thrust, and it does that.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the new lineup of engines that Ford has come out with.
I just wish they hired more knowledgeable people to work these events. They hire 'pretty people'. I got tired of hearing the wrong information over and over again. Finally I just stopped asking. At the tow section, I made are remark about how disappointed I would be driving the Ram, he stated "I'm an independant contractor, and I will tell you, I like the Ram better than the Ford" I raise an eyebrow at that remark. More technical questions asked to "Product specialists" were replied with a total lie, misinformation and then later "Sir, we're not engineers." If you don't know, just say so. These guys lost their cool when you ask questions they don't know. Then they get offended when you try to correct them. I.e. the guy we did the drive challenge said that "the Ecoboost in the F-series had Honeywell GT12 turbochargers". I said "They're borg warner, and the Honeywell GT15 is what is in the SHO, Flex and MKS with Ecoboost. He just looked at me. Later someone else told me , all F150s have rear axle ratios of 3.73 and 4.10. Ugh. Come on Ford. Seriously? /Rant over.
I did run into two Product specialists that actually did work for Ford and not the event company. They even let me check out and start up the new 6.7L Powerstroke that happened to be there. That motor is crammed under the hood of that truck, however, its supposed to be much easier to service than the 6.0 and 6.4s of yore. Those 7.3L days are over, quit dreaming. HA!.
Ford, you've done a good job here. Lets hope you will keep the products fresh and not let things die on the vine.
Overall I'd say Ford has a good new lineup on their hands. Time will tell to see if people are apt to adopt the Ecoboost in the F Series.
Ford has been making bold moves in the past few years.
More frequent refreshes and new exciting product lines, and killing dead weight (note: Ranger, E-Series and Panthers are NOT dead weight. Refresh THEM PLEASE!)
On Saturday I went and drove the F-Series to try their new engine lineup.
My impressions is that the new Ecoboost F150 is a fast truck, the way the power ramps up is very deceptive, but if you look at the speedometer, you're going at a good clip.
They set up 1/8 mile tracks and let people race each other in all the powertrains, 3.7L V6, 3.5L Ecoboost, 5.0 V8, and a 6.2L Harley truck. Also a Hemi powered Ram Quad Cab and a 5.3L Z71 Silverado ext cab were there to drive/compare.
My best time was run in a Ecoboost 4x4 Supercrew launching in 4Hi (hehe). Ford has hit a home run with this setup. The Ecoboost trucks have lots of insulation along the hood edges and sides to attenuate sound to not give you the feeling that you're driving with a 'smaller' engine. The exhaust note at WOT sounds a little raspy, but you can tell Ford spent some money researching how to get the exhaust to sound decent. NVH is almost nil, and you really dont know its a V6 unless you have a trained ear.
The 5.0L V8 is a smooth engine, with its Modular roots but so much better, it is most definitely refined. I was impressed with the changes Ford made to set the engine up for Truck Duty. Feels different than when in the Mustang App. Still sounds like a mod motor starting up though. Slick 6 Speed Auto is across this whole range of trucks.
The 6.2L Harley truck was by far the best sounding and driving truck there. The 6.2L exhaust on the Harley truck sounds like a NASCAR exhaust at WOT. Ford has done an excellent job with this motor. The truck felt the fastest out of the group, but the Ecoboost was faster on paper (at least to my time slips)
Next they had the Tow area, which had a Loaded Mega Cab Hemi Ram and a Silverado hooked to trailers filled with 6000 lbs in the back, and a group of F150 Supercrew 4x2 and 4x4, all with Ecoboost engines.
Does anyone notice that Ford did not offer a 5.7L or 4.6L Tundra for us to try?
I drove the Ram first, found it to be decent on power but having to work it hard to get it to move at a good pace with the trailer.
Next I hopped into a Supercrew FX4 with the Ecoboost and a 3.73 rear end. This truck moves good with a load. Again, its deceptive because you look down at the speedometer and you're moving faster than you thought. With a load, the power delivery is still very smooth, and the braking and trailer sway control all work awesome. You do have to work that Ecoboost to get the truck to get on the freeways, but thats what it was designed to do, with the turbos, provide that V8 thrust, and it does that.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the new lineup of engines that Ford has come out with.
I just wish they hired more knowledgeable people to work these events. They hire 'pretty people'. I got tired of hearing the wrong information over and over again. Finally I just stopped asking. At the tow section, I made are remark about how disappointed I would be driving the Ram, he stated "I'm an independant contractor, and I will tell you, I like the Ram better than the Ford" I raise an eyebrow at that remark. More technical questions asked to "Product specialists" were replied with a total lie, misinformation and then later "Sir, we're not engineers." If you don't know, just say so. These guys lost their cool when you ask questions they don't know. Then they get offended when you try to correct them. I.e. the guy we did the drive challenge said that "the Ecoboost in the F-series had Honeywell GT12 turbochargers". I said "They're borg warner, and the Honeywell GT15 is what is in the SHO, Flex and MKS with Ecoboost. He just looked at me. Later someone else told me , all F150s have rear axle ratios of 3.73 and 4.10. Ugh. Come on Ford. Seriously? /Rant over.
I did run into two Product specialists that actually did work for Ford and not the event company. They even let me check out and start up the new 6.7L Powerstroke that happened to be there. That motor is crammed under the hood of that truck, however, its supposed to be much easier to service than the 6.0 and 6.4s of yore. Those 7.3L days are over, quit dreaming. HA!.
Ford, you've done a good job here. Lets hope you will keep the products fresh and not let things die on the vine.
Overall I'd say Ford has a good new lineup on their hands. Time will tell to see if people are apt to adopt the Ecoboost in the F Series.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
New Years resolutions
Okay so its been a while since I updated my blog and I have been meaning to but really have had nothing to blog about.
Well, for those of you who keep up with me, many know that I had a buddy move in earlier this year, he rented a room in the house and kept his dog in the back yard. Well, I got along with "Tom" just fine, but his dog, who is a 1 year old 100 lb bloodhound, was a different story. Totally unsocialized and crazy. I didn't want that dog coming inside, so a pen was built in the back yard, which the dog promptly dug up and destroyed the grass. I turned the other cheek, since Tom was indeed paying rent. I told Tom that the dog could come in during inclement weather (really cold, rainstorm etc) as long as he was given a bath first. Tom has quite a social schedule and was never really home in the evenings. So the dog stayed in his pen for probably 23 hours a day. On the nights Tom came home late, he would toss dog food out the back door and go to bed.
Now, where am I going with this? Well, last weekend, Tom moved out on Sunday, mysteriously. No Goodbye, no GFY, no see you later. Just gone. I got home and went and looked out the back porch, and the 'dog pen'/mud hole was missing all the cattle panel fencing. The T-Posts were still there (thanks Jackass), and the wood was still there. Missing was the dog house, and rubber mat and his BBQ Pit. This is strange, I went to his bedroom. Everything that was his was missing. Then into the bathroom. Totally cleaned out. I called three times, no answer from him.
Immediately, I started thinking "What did I do?" but I caught myself. I made phone calls to friends from church, and in my support network. They all had the same answer. "Its not you. Its about Tom. You did nothing, This is all about him." So after calming down about the situation, I went to bed, and the next day, arrived at the office to find a "Dear John" letter in my email. Basically stating that he wanted to move out because It wasnt fair to me because I didnt want the dog inside, and wasnt fair to the dog because he was in the mud. Well, Good luck with that buddy. So I know, this was Toms way of avoiding any kind of confrontation or situation that would have arisen. Personally I couldn't see the situation getting out of control, but who knows.
So, I talked to a good friend that night, who usually calls me out on my thinking patterns/errors. I was really upset and agitated at him because I told him that I planned on "letting go" of the situation. He pointed out to me (much to my chagrin), that I way too often let people take advantage of me. And I was thinking to myself, "What the hell is this guy talking about? I dont let people take advantage of me!" Well, less than 24 hours later, this statement would fufill itself.
To be continued.....
Well, for those of you who keep up with me, many know that I had a buddy move in earlier this year, he rented a room in the house and kept his dog in the back yard. Well, I got along with "Tom" just fine, but his dog, who is a 1 year old 100 lb bloodhound, was a different story. Totally unsocialized and crazy. I didn't want that dog coming inside, so a pen was built in the back yard, which the dog promptly dug up and destroyed the grass. I turned the other cheek, since Tom was indeed paying rent. I told Tom that the dog could come in during inclement weather (really cold, rainstorm etc) as long as he was given a bath first. Tom has quite a social schedule and was never really home in the evenings. So the dog stayed in his pen for probably 23 hours a day. On the nights Tom came home late, he would toss dog food out the back door and go to bed.
Now, where am I going with this? Well, last weekend, Tom moved out on Sunday, mysteriously. No Goodbye, no GFY, no see you later. Just gone. I got home and went and looked out the back porch, and the 'dog pen'/mud hole was missing all the cattle panel fencing. The T-Posts were still there (thanks Jackass), and the wood was still there. Missing was the dog house, and rubber mat and his BBQ Pit. This is strange, I went to his bedroom. Everything that was his was missing. Then into the bathroom. Totally cleaned out. I called three times, no answer from him.
Immediately, I started thinking "What did I do?" but I caught myself. I made phone calls to friends from church, and in my support network. They all had the same answer. "Its not you. Its about Tom. You did nothing, This is all about him." So after calming down about the situation, I went to bed, and the next day, arrived at the office to find a "Dear John" letter in my email. Basically stating that he wanted to move out because It wasnt fair to me because I didnt want the dog inside, and wasnt fair to the dog because he was in the mud. Well, Good luck with that buddy. So I know, this was Toms way of avoiding any kind of confrontation or situation that would have arisen. Personally I couldn't see the situation getting out of control, but who knows.
So, I talked to a good friend that night, who usually calls me out on my thinking patterns/errors. I was really upset and agitated at him because I told him that I planned on "letting go" of the situation. He pointed out to me (much to my chagrin), that I way too often let people take advantage of me. And I was thinking to myself, "What the hell is this guy talking about? I dont let people take advantage of me!" Well, less than 24 hours later, this statement would fufill itself.
To be continued.....
Monday, October 19, 2009
Fall is in the air
Well Fall is starting to peek its way in. For the first time in many years, I feel like I haven't 'dipped' into my annual funk that I usually get into when we get the first cold snap.
This time of year marks an odd point in my life, once a year. The same time that I was laid off from the first job out of school, and my spiritual journey and finding out who I really was. Don't get me wrong, we never went to church as kids, not because we didn't believe in God, my parents just never went. When I got to A&M, I started attending church with friends, and I felt so much more complete, a good 'balance' if you will.
It wasn't until late 2001 when I really started feeling something else, something that I hadn't experienced, maybe ever. And in the most turbulent chapters of my life, serenity.
Last week, our pastor had an excellent talk about 'waking up' and God being there, finding him there with arms wide open, and for me, it was a very moving talk.
You can listen to it here.... Check out the 10/10/2009 talk.
So today, as I write this post, I look back at my life today, all my friends, all my family, my church family, and life in general, I have to smile. Sometimes its so easily to be discouraged. In my 30s, thirty lbs overweight, single, working a job that tests me every day, and walking this journey, but I'm not alone. He is there. Thats one thing I know I don't do enough, I don't trust in God, and know that he has great plans for me. I perpetually try to drive the bus, and I know I just need to sit back and let God drive.
Sorry for the 'heavy' post, just had to get that out there. To end in the words of singer Gary Allan, "Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride."
This time of year marks an odd point in my life, once a year. The same time that I was laid off from the first job out of school, and my spiritual journey and finding out who I really was. Don't get me wrong, we never went to church as kids, not because we didn't believe in God, my parents just never went. When I got to A&M, I started attending church with friends, and I felt so much more complete, a good 'balance' if you will.
It wasn't until late 2001 when I really started feeling something else, something that I hadn't experienced, maybe ever. And in the most turbulent chapters of my life, serenity.
Last week, our pastor had an excellent talk about 'waking up' and God being there, finding him there with arms wide open, and for me, it was a very moving talk.
You can listen to it here.... Check out the 10/10/2009 talk.
So today, as I write this post, I look back at my life today, all my friends, all my family, my church family, and life in general, I have to smile. Sometimes its so easily to be discouraged. In my 30s, thirty lbs overweight, single, working a job that tests me every day, and walking this journey, but I'm not alone. He is there. Thats one thing I know I don't do enough, I don't trust in God, and know that he has great plans for me. I perpetually try to drive the bus, and I know I just need to sit back and let God drive.
Sorry for the 'heavy' post, just had to get that out there. To end in the words of singer Gary Allan, "Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride."
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Forgot to Remind all you readers! (DST Time again!)
Once again, we have DST!
This is a good time to remember other things that need to be taken care of, specifically on your car, and at your home!
I like to remind folks that really aren't into car care, that at least twice a year, (a good reminder is around the time change) you should:
House:
This is a good time to remember other things that need to be taken care of, specifically on your car, and at your home!
I like to remind folks that really aren't into car care, that at least twice a year, (a good reminder is around the time change) you should:
- Change the oil (more than 2x per year but if you can't remember do it now)
- Rotate your tires, correct air pressure
- Inspect/Replace your air filter
- Wash the car really well (including the wheel wells and rails/drains).
- Remove the garbage inside the car
- Inspect all your exterior lights
House:
- Fertilize the lawn (Fall Fertilizer, and Spring Time too)
- Change the Ice maker Filter
- Change the A/C Furnace Filter
- Open the windows and let some fresh air in!
- Drain that hot water heater
- Check/Replace any light bulbs that burned out
Monday, December 1, 2008
Engrish....part II
So I against my promise of not going out of the house on black Friday, one of my friends asked me to meet him for lunch. I had to go to Costco anyway, so I decided to meet him at a Chinese buffet off I-10.
We had a good time and then the fortune cookies came out. We BOTH got the same fortune....his first comment was "They could have used correct grammar."
Engrish is all around us now....
We had a good time and then the fortune cookies came out. We BOTH got the same fortune....his first comment was "They could have used correct grammar."
Engrish is all around us now....
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Engrish
Engrish. The attempt for people that don't speak or write the English language well to speak/write something that others find funny......
I was having lunch with C yesterday at our Favorite Thai place. C is half Filipino, and we used to work together. Anyway, we both appreciate good food, so we meet up for lunch and then laugh about our Asian heritage and catch up. So we're looking over the menu, and C points out something, I look and chuckle, and she asks "Where's it going?" which sent me into a roar, loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to glance over.....Thanks for the good laugh Cyn!
I ordered the Pad Thai, and asked her to make it spicy. It came out, not spicy enough, so I asked for some chili sauce. I should have kept my mouth shut. This was one of the few times I haven't been able to finish a meal because it was so hot. I was sweating profusely, and when I returned to the office, I could feel the spicyness eroding my stomach!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Free Parking?
Well, Network Geek finally has his entire driveway back!
A little history....
In 2005, I bought NG's old car, which had been sitting idle for a while, with the intention of fixing and selling. Fast forward to November 2008, NG is having a get together at his house on turkey day, and I owe him a Entertainment center that I promised him from March of this year. I decided to stop procrastinating and bring him the stand, and when I went over there, I saw the car, sitting with layers of grime and dust, lookin kinda sad. Thats when I finally decided, well, 3 years of free parking and no efforts to get that thing running, NG's trying to get his house cleaned up for Turkey day, so I'll help the effort by removing 2 tons of steel off his property.....
So off she goes to the world of Craigslist. And what do you know, within 1 hour of posting, a guy from 2 hours north of here is coming to get her! To top that off, the new buyer found a set of wrenches that I had bought and left in the car back in 2005. I always wondered where those things went off to! ;)
He arrived an hour before he said he'd be there, loaded the car and paid up, and left! Thanks again NG for the free parking for the last 3 years!
I've actually been paring my fleet down little by little, so much to the point that I'm getting a little nervous about how many vehicles I'm down to! I'm sure this will be a temporary situation of course!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
More Cookin
I love Sunday nights. My mom used to make a big deal out of Sunday night supper. So now a days, living on my own, I still like to make a nice home cooked meal on Sunday nights.
Heres one I tried a week ago. Home Made Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes (from Scratch not a box you lazy guys!), Creamed Corn and a Salad. Really? There wasn't a lot of prep involved. This was an easy meal to make.
Heres the meal in progress....
And the finished product......
Probably not the healthiest choice with the Fried Chicken, but a nice home cooked meal really feels good on a Sunday night!
Heres one I tried a week ago. Home Made Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes (from Scratch not a box you lazy guys!), Creamed Corn and a Salad. Really? There wasn't a lot of prep involved. This was an easy meal to make.
Heres the meal in progress....
And the finished product......
Probably not the healthiest choice with the Fried Chicken, but a nice home cooked meal really feels good on a Sunday night!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Believe it or not, I love to cook
It may come to a surprise to some of you readers, but I actually DO enjoy cooking!
Recently I picked up some Pork Chops on sale at HEB. I usually grill the pork chops, but now I have an easy and tasty way to make em!
Preheat oven to 350.
Thaw them out, I let them season with Fajita seasoning for about an hour in the fridge, covered.
Rub with olive oil, then coat with Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Then put the chops on top of a 2 layered pan, one with the vents on top, to let the juices run into the lower tray.
Bake 15 minutes on each side at 350. Serve em with whatever you like! Sorry boys and girls, no pictures. I'll take some next time!
Recently I picked up some Pork Chops on sale at HEB. I usually grill the pork chops, but now I have an easy and tasty way to make em!
Preheat oven to 350.
Thaw them out, I let them season with Fajita seasoning for about an hour in the fridge, covered.
Rub with olive oil, then coat with Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Then put the chops on top of a 2 layered pan, one with the vents on top, to let the juices run into the lower tray.
Bake 15 minutes on each side at 350. Serve em with whatever you like! Sorry boys and girls, no pictures. I'll take some next time!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Still Learning how to bend...
Okay, so some of you (well most of you) know that I'm in a new relationship. This is the best, healthiest relationship I've ever been in, yet we still have struggles, but I have to say, the challenges that are posed sometimes really bring me very deep insight.
OK guys, I'm not going soft on you here, but I'm really just trying to learn how to do this whole relationship thing. I'm enjoying the challenges at the same time as I'm learning more about this person, I'm learning more about me at the same time. She brings balance to me (aka not work 500 hours a week), and I'm actually enjoying just doing nothing (now and then). Its weird how God works, but this was something that I was joking with a friend of mine about and it ended up turning into something great. I'm still learning how to do this whole relationship thing, and actually COMMUNICATING with her! The good and the bad stuff, and we talk about it! This is amazing stuff because I never was shown this as a kid, so being able to use the tools that I have gained over the years and yield great results is awesome.
This Gary Allan Song was on the radio the other day and I had to laugh, because it's a good description of how things are going, and where I'd like them to go....
I'm still learning how to pray
Trying hard not to stray
Try to see things your way
I'm still learning how to pray
I'm still learning how to trust
It's so hard to open up
And I'd do anything for us
I'm still learning how to trust
Chorus:
I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'm just trying to understand
It's all in someone else's hands
There's always been a bigger plan
But I don't need to understand
Chorus:
I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'll be there till the end
I'm still learning how to bend
For those who want to hear the song, Heres the Video...
OK guys, I'm not going soft on you here, but I'm really just trying to learn how to do this whole relationship thing. I'm enjoying the challenges at the same time as I'm learning more about this person, I'm learning more about me at the same time. She brings balance to me (aka not work 500 hours a week), and I'm actually enjoying just doing nothing (now and then). Its weird how God works, but this was something that I was joking with a friend of mine about and it ended up turning into something great. I'm still learning how to do this whole relationship thing, and actually COMMUNICATING with her! The good and the bad stuff, and we talk about it! This is amazing stuff because I never was shown this as a kid, so being able to use the tools that I have gained over the years and yield great results is awesome.
This Gary Allan Song was on the radio the other day and I had to laugh, because it's a good description of how things are going, and where I'd like them to go....
I'm still learning how to pray
Trying hard not to stray
Try to see things your way
I'm still learning how to pray
I'm still learning how to trust
It's so hard to open up
And I'd do anything for us
I'm still learning how to trust
Chorus:
I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'm just trying to understand
It's all in someone else's hands
There's always been a bigger plan
But I don't need to understand
Chorus:
I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'll be there till the end
I'm still learning how to bend
For those who want to hear the song, Heres the Video...
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Is that a Cold Front I see???
I wish we could get some cold weather soon......
Looks like this friendly weatherman has some happy news.....
Looks like this friendly weatherman has some happy news.....
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Life group...The aftermath
Well, we had our final Life Group meet last night, which was a Pot Luck dinner anyway, but it was really great to have everyone get together and share a meal.
I made pork tenderloin, green bean casserole, and a bunch of appetizers. Some other folks brought Mashed Potatoes, Chili, to die for Jalepeno Cornbread, and my good friend brought 2 loaves of his homemade bread! OH MAN! For dessert we had all kinds of good stuff, including Blue Bell Birthday Cake Ice cream. If you haven't had it, you gotta try it!! SO GOOD.
Afterwards we watched Mythbusters and played Dance Dance Revolution! HAHA!
I love entertaining in my home, but I dread the fact that I have to do some serious cleaning of the casa tonight.
Anyway, its kinda sad that Life group is over. This was a break in the week, kind of like feeling "If I can make it to Wednesday night, I'll be OK. Then afterwards, all I had to do was do Thursday and Friday, and then the weekend was there!
I'll have to figure out something to do on Wednesday nights now....hmmmm. I guess I need to get back to working out regularly.
I made pork tenderloin, green bean casserole, and a bunch of appetizers. Some other folks brought Mashed Potatoes, Chili, to die for Jalepeno Cornbread, and my good friend brought 2 loaves of his homemade bread! OH MAN! For dessert we had all kinds of good stuff, including Blue Bell Birthday Cake Ice cream. If you haven't had it, you gotta try it!! SO GOOD.
Afterwards we watched Mythbusters and played Dance Dance Revolution! HAHA!
I love entertaining in my home, but I dread the fact that I have to do some serious cleaning of the casa tonight.
Anyway, its kinda sad that Life group is over. This was a break in the week, kind of like feeling "If I can make it to Wednesday night, I'll be OK. Then afterwards, all I had to do was do Thursday and Friday, and then the weekend was there!
I'll have to figure out something to do on Wednesday nights now....hmmmm. I guess I need to get back to working out regularly.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Coach Fran Calls it QUITS!
He looks pretty indifferent here.....
Jack Arutes questions/comments were TOTALLY inappropriate!
Jack Arutes questions/comments were TOTALLY inappropriate!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Wow! Takes me back!
Are you still full like I am???
Was doing laundry and cleaning house today, had Satellite Radio on, and as I was pulling clothes out of the Dryer, this old song came on. I had to laugh because the video was all in my head. I found it on youtube too!
Did I mention I love the cold weather??? I got a fire going and I'm waiting for the A&M vs t.u. game to come on! WHOOP! We'll see who wins this one. Oh thee of little faith. I think we'll pull it off. Either way, I think this is Fran's swan song.....
Was doing laundry and cleaning house today, had Satellite Radio on, and as I was pulling clothes out of the Dryer, this old song came on. I had to laugh because the video was all in my head. I found it on youtube too!
Did I mention I love the cold weather??? I got a fire going and I'm waiting for the A&M vs t.u. game to come on! WHOOP! We'll see who wins this one. Oh thee of little faith. I think we'll pull it off. Either way, I think this is Fran's swan song.....
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Turkey Day!
Well Everyone, another Thanksgiving is among us! And I woke this morning to...*Gasp*
COLD WEATHER! WOOHOO!!!!
I love it! Cold Thanksgivings are great! Time to get up! I'm going to Chris and Bethanys this morning to work on Chris's Truck and then coming home to make mashed taters!
Going to my moms to celebrate with around 30 people! WOOHOO!
Happy Turkey Day All!
COLD WEATHER! WOOHOO!!!!
I love it! Cold Thanksgivings are great! Time to get up! I'm going to Chris and Bethanys this morning to work on Chris's Truck and then coming home to make mashed taters!
Going to my moms to celebrate with around 30 people! WOOHOO!
Happy Turkey Day All!
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