Windows and Staying Warm

View from our deck this morning.

Yesterday Dee went to work while I stayed home and continued the window "film" project on the front windows. I completed all but one pane before running out of film again. It looks good and I'm satisfied it'll make a difference. The temp is to go to -2 degrees this morning and stay in the low single digits all day. Wind chill is supposed to be in the -15 to -25 range. Burrrr.

Later I went back to Home Depot for another roll of the stuff, renewed a book at the library on Excel 2002 that I'm using to teach myself Excel (slowly). And I bought some more coffee for my next batch of "cold brewed coffee" that finished brewing just this morning.

In the evening I went to the Bogmeister Board meeting now that I'm VP of PR and Marketing. Lots to do in that job, but the Board was very helpful as I begin establishing a budget of sorts and discovering ways to network and get the word out about our singing group. The meeting was at Bill S. home around the fireplace. Nice atmosphere. The sharing of ideas, and concerns as we move toward getting our charter and non-profit status was good. And it was nice of Jim S. to pick me up en route to the meeting.

Today I head out to Columbus for the "leadership academy" for officers of the Barbershop Society Chapters of our District. I'll be back Sat. evening sometime.

Of Bowling and Valentines

Yesterday was a cold one for sure. I shoveled a while just to get the snow off the deck and to stay ahead of any accumulation. It was only a couple of inches deep, but it can add up. Dee went to Contours to workout. I then went to Rotary for the luncheon and program. At rotary I announced and explained the "Singing Valentines" project of my barbershop group. Several of the men seemed interested and took some of the "tear off" phone numbers for future use.

Two of the guys at my table were into bowling and so we talked about that. I learned a lot about "sanctioned league" playing. One guy bowled left handed but hurt his hand during the year and tried to bowl right handed. He found he could do it pretty well, so started bowling right handed for his league. Someone took him aside and said it was an infraction against the rules. If you start bowling left handed you have to do so the entire season. WOW ! Who would've thought.

This conversation started when he mentioned he'd purchased a new bowling ball for $200. I asked him how many bowling balls he had. He said after thinking about it, "eight." He said that he usually takes two balls with him to the bowling alley when he plays, and that some guys take more. There's another rule that says, "If you don't take all your bowling balls out of the bag when the play starts, you can't use one you left in the bag later." He also indicated that often getting the "7 pin" is hard for him, so he has a favorite ball for that shot. He noted that different bowling alleys play differently with certain balls. So it can make a difference which ball he uses depending on where he's playing. AMAZING!

The other guys at the table were just as surprised as I was regarding the many "rules." We were "bowled over" by all this new information ;)

Back home Dee and I continued to install the window "film" in an effort to make our place just a little more energy efficient. We finished the kitchen area and now will do the two front windows. The films seems to keep some of the cold out, and cuts down on the UV glare as well.

I worked at the computer surfing the www.barbershop.org site to learn more about my new hobby. I leave on Friday for a quick trip to Columbus for a training event for new chorus officers. I'm the VP for Public Relations (P-R). It'll be my job to send announcements to the radio stations, and newspapers about the singing Valentines.

Here's the deal: We'll send a quartet to sing 2 love songs to your "special someone" on your behalf. Also included is a personalized card with words from you to her/him; and a photo of her/him with the quartet to capture the moment; and a Valentine balloon. All for the low low price of $40. We're hoping to do more than fifty of these singing valentines on February 13 and 14. We'll sing at homes, offices, hospitals and even restaurants and stores. Wherever you want. If you're interested give me a call and I'll make it happen. (Note: Our quartets are good. Remember one of them sang the National Anthem for the Yankees/Pirates game last summer.) Have a great day!

A Little This and That

In the morning Earl C. picked me up for the men's Bible Study group at the church. We saw a brief video on the book of Isaiah, and then had discussion. It was nice of Earl to pick me up. We enjoy the guys who show up for it.

Back home we continued our window "film" project on the kitchen windows. It's coming along well, but we ran out of film and had to stop for the day. We think it's making a difference already regarding retaining heat. And we're getting better at applying the stuff as well. Everything went well except for the dog eating the squeegee handle ;)

We stopped at Giant Eagle for some groceries and I checked out the cheese selections. I didn't get anything, but it was good to see what they have. I received word too, that my cheese books have been shipped. Can't wait!

We got more snow so I did some shoveling. The weather reports indicate it's going to get colder and colder through the week. Friday is to be a high of 9 degrees - burrr. We stayed inside and watched some of the shows we'd recorded. I continue to make and drink my "cold brewed" coffee. I've made two batches and am about to make a third batch. It makes about 7 cups of concentrate that then can make about 30 cups of coffee. The concentrate can last up to 14 days or longer in the fridge, but we drink it before that. I like to make the lattes with it. Yummm.

Cheese Glorious Cheese

This is the view from our room at Seven Springs as we sat in our room and looked out the window. Cool.

Yesterday we decided to work on the windows at home by putting a thin film on them that keeps out UV rays and cold air while allowing a person to look out the windows. We did the basement window first and we already have noticed that there is a difference. We also did the door window to the deck. A lot of heat must escape through the window pane because by just adding the "film" it's made a difference. We're going to do the rest of the windows today - at least until the product runs out.

We also went to Barnes and Noble and perused some of the books I discovered online about cheese. I got so turned on at the "getaway weekend" that I want to learn more about cheese. Afterward, we went to Costco, and I examined their cheese department to see what kind they had on hand. I bought some Pecorino Romano from Italy. It's made from sheep's milk and came highly recommended by the cheese expert at the "getaway". Later we had some as a snack with a nice white wine, pinot grigio, that we bought in Virginia. Yummm. Then, I ordered three books on cheese from Amazon.com so I can read about how cheese is made, eaten, served and paired with wines. And to learn about some of the cheeses I'll be trying and looking for. Fun stuff. Can't wait!

Last night I went to Barbershop Harmony Chorus practice. We're getting ready for the "singing valentines" emphasis by learning the two songs we'll sing for people as a gift to their "special someone." We also began practicing in earnest the two songs we're going to do for competition. I was glad to see that Alan was back and that Bob, whom I invited last week, also returned. It was a good practice. I'm beginning to see that the guys who learn the song by ear, and can't read music, are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning new songs. They still learn the song, but it's a different process for them.

Afterward, Dee and I watched some television, tried our new cheese

The "Gourmet Getaway" at Seven Springs

Well we're back from the "Gourmet Getaway" at Seven Springs Ski Resort. What an awesome weekend. It's one of the best times Dee and I have had on a "getaway" trip experience. The accommodations at the Resort are first rate. And the food was phenomenal. Every meal was like a banquet and the chef's banquet was like a formal wedding reception with chair seat covers, cloth tablecloths and napkins and each course of the meal announced as it was being served.

The process was that we'd have a class where the chef would prepare a meal for a few people and explain every step of the preparation process and why he used the various ingredients he did. Then later we'd have a full meal (all 240 of us) with food made from the recipes just demonstrated.

There were about 8 chefs there for the weekend. You could chat with them on a one to one during the weekend and ask all the questions you could think of. They even sat at our tables so we could gt to know them better.

Dress was casual all weekend, however, some people dressed up for the "Chef's Banquet" on Saturday night. Among my favorite dishes was the crab cakes. I also like the risotto. The packets we were given had the bios of all the chefs and the printed recipes of the meals they were making.

This was the "first annual" such event. They're planning on doing it again this same weekend in January next year and we already have our name on the list to be notified as the date rolls around again.

We learned about the weekend by an ad in the newspaper. But it seems most of the people there either received a postcard or an email inviting them to it. The guy in charge indicated that they used the mailing list from "Bon Appetite" subscribers who had indicated on a survey card that they were interested in "cooking."

The people attending seemed to be from all walks of life and were in our age range give or take 10-15 years. But most were about our age. We met some really nice people. Two gals we hung out with and ate with a lot were Linda and Susie. Two ladies who were best friends for many years. Linda lives at the resort and has worked there for 23 years. Susie has a "primitive American" gift shop off Route #19 near Washington, PA called "Heart's in the Attic".

The "blind wine tasting" and the seminar on cheeses, oils and salad presentation were eye opening to me. They especially whet my appetite for learning more about cheeses. They had some cheese there was just outa this world. One bite just exploded in your mouth with flavor. We also learned how to "eat" cheese, swirl our wine and what to look for as wince sits in your glass. Lots of fun.

The last seminar (Sunday morning after a cordon blue and lamb breakfast) was called "Deja Brew" and was taught by a "brew master" from Starbucks. She told us with the use of PowerPoint about the history of coffee; the processes used to pick and prepare the beans; and how coffee is made. She also talked about the various nuances of coffee's aromas and how to store coffee properly. I didn't know there were citrus, smokey, floral, chocolate, and earthy notes in what makes coffee smell so good. We actually "tasted" some coffee there and then paired it with chocolate truffles.

Some people took advantage of the sleigh rides each night and the "grooming machine rides" as well. Some spouses were there and went skiing while the other one attended the classes. At the end the management of Seven Springs invited us to stay another day at 50% off. Everything was first rate!

Of course while we were inside, weather was happening outside. Our car was encased in ice. It took a good 20 minutes to clear with windows of the 1/2 inch thick ice to get the doors and trunk open. However, we stayed with it and despite breaking our ice scraper we were successful. The roads home were clear all the way. However, we did note that our area had received about 5" of snow while we were gone.

Our dog, Bonz, was well cared for by neighbors who fell in love with him while we were gone. And of course we finished off the evening watching the Steelers beat the Chargers! Here's is a photo of one of the chefs - Robin Cook, of the Steeler's Super Bowl winning team. His sweet potato pic was truly delicious.

Shopping for House Stuff with Dee

Yesterday we decided to go to breakfast at the Freedom Square dinner. Since it was late in the morning I had breakfast and Dee had lunch. While there we saw two people we knew (a Bogmeister and also someone from our church). It's nice seeing people we know out in the community.

Afterward we went and bought some rug mats for under the kitchenette rug (which we have to return because they were the wrong size.) And we bought some energy efficient bulbs (also being returned because Dee didn't like them. They were "soft white" but the lower wattage ones were a strange color and the ones that match what we were replacing seemed brighter. Dee doesn't like bright. Maybe a different brand would work better. We also got some window film that's supposed to block out the UV rays and help with keeping the cold out and heat in during the winter. I'll try applying it today and we'll see if it works.

We stopped at Walmart to get some things and on the way out we saw that a senior citizen had fallen while trying to get on a small bus. She was being cared for by the bus driver I think and there was a large pool of blood by the person's head and on the hands of the person attending to her. Sad.

At home I continued teaching myself "Excel" and trying out different types of worksheets. It's coming along okay. Still lots more to learn. We stayed home (It was really cold ou.) and watched a couple of shows we'd recorded (Burn Notice and Psyche) and hadn't seen yet. Tonight we head to Seven Springs for the "gourmet getaway." We'll leave Bonz with a neighbor who likes to care for dogs.

Of Shades of White and Singing Valentines

Yesterday Dee went to work and I took care of things at the house before going to my Rotary Club luncheon. The speakers were two professional baseball players. Both were from local high schools (Pine Richland and Mt Lebanon)and they were brothers-in-law. One played for Indianapolis Triple A team and the other played with the Tigers farm team, then the pirates for a season, and now has a shot at the Detroit Tigers third base spot. It was interesting to hear their stories of trying to make it in the big leagues.

From there I checked out Lowers and Home Dept's selection of energy savings light bulbs to replace burned out bulbs at our place. What I saw at Home Depot amazed me. They had a display of lighted bulbs in little boxes to show the difference between them. The lights were "soft white", "bright white", and "daylight white". You could see the difference. What amazed me though was that they were all in little boxes painted with the same color paint, but they each looked like they were different paints! Hummmm - must be a sermon illustration there somewhere.

Shortly after that I had to meet a fellow Bogmeister at his home to work on a "singing valentine" flier to advertise our willingness to sing love songs for people who'd like to send a "singing valentine" to loved ones. They'd also get a personalized valentine card with a photo of the event, and a mylar balloon. All for a mere $40. Quite a unique Valentine Gift. The guy lives in Saxonburg so I went to his house (which he has gutted and is refinishing) and we worked on it for a couple of hours. When I came out of the house, it was snowing quite hard and very windy. I took me time getting home with no problems. Dee had a delicious grilled fish dinner waiting for me. Gotta love that gal!

During the evening we stayed in and watched a little television and then I continued reading "Excel 2002 For Dummies". I don't know how to use Excel and have never had the time to learn it, so now I have the time and want to be able to make use of it's capabilities for organizing our household expenses as well as other kinds of things. After finishing the first two sections, I tried setting up a worksheet with our categories on it for the new year. We'll see how it goes.