At home

Saved from a rainy day

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:11:23 GMT

Saved from a rainy day

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:31:02 GMT

Yesterday I replaced six frequently used lightbulbs (in the dining room) with...

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:19:52 GMT

Yesterday I replaced six frequently used lightbulbs (in the dining room) with compact fluorescent. 6x7W instead of 6x25W, and they're 40W equivalents. And no, it's not as dark as it looks in the photo!
Personally I'd like it better if the bulbs didn't have so much stuff written on them. Looks too industrial this way.
The vine is growing happily. :)

Photo by Gwenlyn

How cool is that?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:11:07 GMT

How cool is that?

Photo by Gwenlyn

The spice apparently didn't flow A few days ago while reading a book, my...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:39:38 GMT

The spice apparently didn't flow
A few days ago while reading a book, my daughter exclaimed in surprise: "there is a typo in this book!" I explained to her that "every book" has mistakes, and showed her a couple of random examples. I mentioned that it's not just books... that small mistakes can be found almost everywhere.

Considering the large number of words in the typical book, it's no surprise that a few errors creep in and remain undetected until it reaches the reader's hands. On the other hand, some mistakes are rather extreme, and it is amazing that they go undetected and uncorrected until distribution. I once posted one particularly egregious example of that...

Here is another rather extreme example. This is the slide introducing the second part of the Dune (2000) movie trilogy which, like the second part of the Dune book, is called Muad'dib.

Someone wasn't paying attention. Or rather, several someones...

Photo by Gwenlyn

Today I transplanted this tree from the front yard into that big pot - and we...

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:06:57 GMT

Today I transplanted this tree from the front yard into that big pot - and we brought it indoors. It's quite heavy! Biggest tree we've ever had in the house.

Photo by Gwenlyn

Inside our tree The same tree in our living room.

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:02:02 GMT

Inside our tree
The same tree in our living room.

Photo by Gwenlyn

Trilob-light

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:01:03 GMT

Trilob-light

Photo by Gwenlyn

While fixing some stuff, I noticed a crumpled, aged piece of paper on the...

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:49:59 GMT

While fixing some stuff, I noticed a crumpled, aged piece of paper on the workbench. I unfolded it, and saw this Parking Violation notice... from 1988.

I have no idea how the bit of paper got there, it certainly wasn't on the workbench all this time. I'm guessing it might have fallen out of some box of festive lights I used lately. Lights I bought at some garage sale, years ago.

So, where were you on April 23rd, 1988? What's your alibi?

(Incidentally, I didn't know that parking "in the wrong direction" was a violation. I assume they mean backing into the parking spot when they expect one to enter it head in?)

Photo by Gwenlyn

A few years ago I bought noise-canceling headphones for flights, and for...

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:37:01 GMT

A few years ago I bought noise-canceling headphones for flights, and for work. I eventually learned that they are very flimsy technology, easily breaking or failing in various ways.

This pair simply stopped working one day. I just found it and asked my wife to fix it - she understands electronics and I don't at all. I don't know what exactly she did, but they work now. Another set couldn't be fixed and had to be trashed, but one got rescued!

Photo by Gwenlyn

Can you guess what this is?

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:17:59 GMT

Can you guess what this is?

Photo by Gwenlyn

One of those days

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:38:46 GMT

One of those days

Photo by Gwenlyn

How to cook a huevodilla 1 Start by cutting a flour tortilla, in a round...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:33:49 GMT

How to cook a huevodilla 1
Start by cutting a flour tortilla, in a round shape that will cover a small pan. Put a drop of olive oil on the pan, and use the tortilla circle to spread the oil. Medium heat.

Photo by Gwenlyn

How to cook a huevodilla 2 Crack an egg on top of the tortilla. Best is if...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:34:15 GMT

How to cook a huevodilla 2

Crack an egg on top of the tortilla. Best is if the egg doesn't ever touch the pan. Break the yolk with a fork, mix around a bit. Add spices (paprika!).

Photo by Gwenlyn

How to cook a huevodilla 3 Lay a slice of cheese over the egg, and cover so...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:34:41 GMT

How to cook a huevodilla 3

Lay a slice of cheese over the egg, and cover so the whole thing gets warm. Heat shouldn't be high.

Photo by Gwenlyn

How to cook a huevodilla 4 With your fingers, break chunks of the rest of the...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:35:06 GMT

How to cook a huevodilla 4

With your fingers, break chunks of the rest of the tortilla and layer on the egg, to cover as much as possible. It needn't be neat.

Photo by Gwenlyn

How to cook a huevodilla 5 Flip and cook the other side. It will quickly be...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:35:26 GMT

How to cook a huevodilla 5

Flip and cook the other side. It will quickly be ready to serve!

Photo by Gwenlyn

How to cook a huevodilla 6 For my own huevodilla, I sliced a mushroom and...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:35:46 GMT

How to cook a huevodilla 6

For my own huevodilla, I sliced a mushroom and added some freshly ground black pepper.

Photo by Gwenlyn

How to cook a huevodilla 7 A badly out-of-focus view of my finished...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:36:12 GMT

How to cook a huevodilla 7

A badly out-of-focus view of my finished huevodilla with mushrooms. Yum!

Photo by Gwenlyn

Blooming crab apple tree through bedroom window

Thu, 06 May 2010 16:29:49 GMT

Blooming crab apple tree through bedroom window

Photo by Gwenlyn

First raised bed Today I built this raised bed and planted in it various...

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:19:14 GMT

First raised bed
Today I built this raised bed and planted in it various vegetables I was growing in small pots.
Carrots, peppers, tomatos, onions, squash, pumpkin. I also seeded some leaf greens.

Photo by Gwenlyn

Last week I made naan for the first time. It was great. Didn't last long!

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 05:55:20 GMT

Last week I made naan for the first time. It was great. Didn't last long!

Photo by Gwenlyn

Go fly a kite (in pareidolia land)

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:28:28 GMT

Go fly a kite (in pareidolia land)

Photo by Gwenlyn

For a few weeks now, we've had this somewhat disconcerting view of a wind...

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:14:45 GMT

For a few weeks now, we've had this somewhat disconcerting view of a wind chime defying gravity. Looking up close reveals the several spider web strands pulling it to the side.
It was a big cobweb, and it was very interesting to follow it over the days and weeks. Some days it was very sloppy, with plenty of holes and distorted sections. The next day it would be very orderly. Sometimes half was a mess and the other half looked new. Very dynamic, overall.
It's still there, but it looks as if the spider has moved on and isn't maintaining it anymore.

Photo by Gwenlyn

Minimalistic ice sculpting.

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:44:10 GMT

Minimalistic ice sculpting.

Photo by Gwenlyn

Some more ice

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 08:12:44 GMT

Some more ice

Photo by Gwenlyn

Gingerbread house

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:07:18 GMT

Gingerbread house

Photo by Gwenlyn

Full of stars

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:07:27 GMT

Full of stars

Photo by Gwenlyn