Weekend update

Friday

Lunch at Casarez
Aikido
Episode of BBC Sherlock

Saturday

Artfire work
Blueberry muffins. Still the same issue with this recipe. Using 2 eggs instead of 1 did not solve the problem
Nap
Aikido
Dinner with K. at Carraba's

Sunday

Up at 5:30 a.m. to go pick blueberries. We picked 34.2 lbs. in 2-1/2 hours. Cooper Farms for peaches and then Cracker Barrel for breakfast
Nap
Baked a loaf of banana bread, blueberry pie, and a peach pie.
Grilled out steaks for dinner with the in-laws
Episode of BBC Sherlock

Monday

Blueberry muffins. Solved the problem! It was putting baking soda in the recipe that caused the problem. No baking soda and they turned out perfect.
Nap
Baked two loaves of banana bread.
Dinner at V.'s for a belated Mother's Day

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 5/26/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Troy, and Brad

Ukemi:

Full set.

The Walk:

Not today

Releases:

Not today.

Techniques:

While waiting for Brad to stretch out, Troy and I worked on Hiki-otoshi. He managed to get a number of good throws after a little bit of work.

We then worked with Brad on 1-3 of Ju Nana Hon Kata.

Then we worked with Troy on 14, 15, and 16 of Ju Nana Hon Kata.

Aftermath:

None of note.

At the movies: Limitless

Limitless: 3

A sci-fi movie starring Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro. A new pill has been developed that allows you to use 100% of your brain instead of the usual 20%.

Bradley is a write with a massive writer's block. He runs into an ex-brother-in-law who supplies him with the drug. More hijinks ensue related to finding more pills and keeping them out of other folks' hands.

At the Movies: Green Lantern

Green Lantern: 2

Saw this movie on DVD. It was ok, but not outstanding.

Aikido Friday Night - 5/25/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Reese, Charles, and Liz

Ukemi:

Full set.

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Charles on his set

Techniques:

Worked with Charles on Shomen-ate and allowing uke to recover from the initial off-balance

Trey and I did a little play with Kote-gaeshi from Ju Nana Hon Kata and O Waza Ju Pon.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Thursday Night - 5/24/2012

Aikido players: Phillip, and Brad

Ukemi:

A couple of warm-up falls.

The Walk:

Not on Thursdays

Releases:

Not tonight

Techniques:

Brad and I worked our way up through no. 8. We were then going to work on the problems discovered, but we came across some footwork that he was uncertain on and work on drills for that.

The problem was the backward tsukiashi (sp?) necessary for no. 8. We did some walking backward and forward across the mat with tsukiashi until the end of the session.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Sand volleyball, 0-2, 0-2

Another season of sand volleyball start this week. I think there are 7 or 8 teams in the league this time instead of last season's 4. Good thing: more teams to play. Bad thing: more 9:00 p.m. games. Ugh.

We played decent and were competitive in all games, but we just didn't win.

Volleyball, 0-3

Another season of indoor started this week, with the usual results.

Lunching out:: Casarez

Took the time to drive down to Hobby to try Casarez. Short and to the point: good, but not worth the 15 minute drive from work.

The place was decently filled with locals grabbing lunch. I ordered my usual Enchiladas Suizas and was pleased to note they don't come with sour cream. The chips were too dense for my tastes, the salsa a little heavy on the habanero and not my cup of tea.

The enchiladas, rice and beans were all passable versions. I thought the sauce on the enchiladas not really to my liking.

Weekend update

Friday

Lunch at Cajun Craven
Aikido

Saturday

Artfire work
Blueberry muffins. Still the same issue with this recipe. It's a little better with butter instead of oil, but I think the issue is using one egg instead of 2.
Aikido
The Book of Eli and Charlie Wilson's War at home
Started a batch of sourdough bread

Sunday

Artfire work
More work on the bread
Changed the oil on the two mowers
Nap
Baked the bread

At the movies: The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli: 3

Denzel Washington portrays a drifter on a mission, carrying a book out West. It is alleged that he is carrying the only copy of the Bible left after the purge that took place after the event that wiped out most of humanity.

It was great seeing Gary Oldman disappear into yet another role. Denzel did a decent job, as well.

At the movies: Charlie Wilson's War

Charlie Wilson's War: 4

A fictionalization of how we got involved in the Russian-Afghan conflict. Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Written by Aaron Sorkin.

I really enjoyed the depiction of an unknown, under-the-radar Texas congressman with enough power to pull of massive funding for the Afghan rebels. We went from not funding them to funding them at $500 million pretty quickly.

I enjoyed the performances by the 3 major stars and thought the script was well done.

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 5/19/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Phillip, Marvin, Gayle, and Reese

Ukemi:

Very few, was overseeing Gayle

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Gayle on her set.

Techniques:

Worked with Gayle on Shomen-ate and Aigamae-ate. Then did some work alternating between Gayle at 1-step and Marvin at multiple step.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Friday Night - 5/18/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Marvin, Gayle, and Reese

Ukemi:

Full set.

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Marvin on his set

Techniques:

Worked with Marvin on 1 and 2 at 3-step. The issue right now is getting Marvin to be perfectly in sync with uke as they approach one another.

Also worked with Reese on the same techniques at one-step distance.

Aftermath:

None of note.

At the movies: Despicable Me

Despicable Me: 3

A fun animated movie of an evil genius who develops a love for 3 adoptees he used in a scheme. It wasn't a Pixar film, but we still had a bunch of growth in the main characters. I'm not sure we had much change in the 3 adoptees, but Gru, Dr. Nefario, and Gru's mom all changed some during the film.

I liked Vector's shark, who I named Bruce (after the Jaws mechanical shark).

The voice of Agnes sounded a lot like the voice of Boo from Monsters, Inc. but, after checking, they were not voiced by the same person.

My wife missed the first part of the movie, but caught the second bit. She liked it enough to want to see the first part.

At the movies: Fast Five

Fast Five: 3

Saw this on HBO the other day and got what I expected from it: car crashes, car chases, lots of explosions and impossible physics.

The fight between "The Rock" and Vin was fun. Most of the other stuff was just a thin layer of cardboard over which to spread the jelly of a heist.

If I'd seen this at matinee prices, I would not have been upset.

At the movies: The Avengers

The Avengers: 3

A day off for my wife, so we met at the theatre right after I got off work for a cheaper, uncrowded showing.

A fun movie with, as usual, some fun lines for Tony Stark. One of my favorites was "Hold on, Legolas" or something of that sort. Stan Lee's cameo was neat, as was the post movie lead-in to the next movie and the final-final bit at the restaurant.

I think they did a good job with all of the characters, attempting to give them somewhat equal exposure.

I was not that happy with the tactics of the invading force. They went right after civilians instead of going after defense installations. Now, if the invading force was supposed to be portrayed as not that bright, then they did a good job with it.

I'd be happy to see it again, but only on DVD. I'm not willing to spend $$ to see it again in the theatre.

Aikido Thursday Night - 5/17/2012

Aikido players: Phillip, and Brad

Ukemi:

None.

The Walk:

Not tonight

Releases:

Not tonight

Techniques:

Phillip and I worked on 1, 2, and 4 of Koryu Dai San kneeling.

Phillip then worked with Brad on 8, 9, and 10 of Ju Nana Hon Kata

Aftermath:

None of note.

Sand Volleyball, 0-2, 2-0

A gorgeous night for sand volleyball. The temperature was pleasant, the wind was essentially nonexistent.

It was playoff time. Since we were in last place, we started the evening playing the first place team. We played well, but still got handled fairly easily.

A short rest and on to the second match. I don't know if this was the third or second place team from the season. I'm betting it was the third place team. We got out to an 8-3 lead in the first game and one of their ladies was unable to continue because of a leg cramp, I think. We won that game 11-9, I think, and the next about 11-5.

For the tournament we ended up in third place!

I don't yet know if I'll be playing next season. They're checking with their regular player to see if he's going to be back on the court or not.

Blonde Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: a recipe experiment

I've been trying to find a recipe similar to the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that Fuddrucker's used to have in the early 90's (I think). They were nice and tasty, very blonde, and not very greasy. I've not had any luck replicating them. All of my attempts end up with very thin, very dark cookies.

I found this recipe at Lady Bean and hoped it would result in the cookie I've been searching for. The pictures on the blog certainly look like what I want.

But, they weren't what I got.

Preheat the oven to 350º

1/2 Cup of softened butter
1/2 Cup of brown sugar
1/4 Cup of white sugar

Mix

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

Mix

3/4 Cup AP flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix

1-1/2 Cups of oats (quick or old-fashioned oats)
1/2 Cup of raisins.

Mix

Stir until combined.

Drop a tablespoon of batter onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Planned alterations to attempt to get my desired result:

1. Add 1/4 C of flour.
2. Switch out half of the butter for shortening.
3. Freeze the scooped dough before cooking
4. Increase the granulated sugar to brown sugar ratio

At the movies: Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows: 3

This was my first movie at the theatres this year. We had planned on seeing The Avengers, but the showtime we wanted was sold out. Dark Shadows was showing within a short timeframe, so we chose it as an alternative.

After seeing all of the trailers, I was not very gung-ho to see the movie. It looked too campy for my tastes. I'm pleased to report that it was not as campy as I'd feared.

I know that growing up I did watch some of Dark Shadows. How much, I don't really have any idea. So, I can't really claim to know the story behind the original soap opera. Looking at Wikipedia last night, though, shows the movie was pretty faithful to the original.

I was pretty pleased with the overall acting, it matched the subject matter. I was generally disappointed in atmospherics. The film was set in 1972 and "No More Mr. Nice Guy" came out in 1973. I actually thought there was a greater difference than that, so they generally got things right. I guess the movie just didn't thrill me.

I was interested to see that Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino are both fans of the original show. I can only imagine what this movie would have looked like had Quentin ended up directing it. I'm not certain it would have happened since Johnny Depp was apparently the driving force behind getting the movie made, but it would definitely have been a different movie.

Weekend update

Friday

Lunch at Pelican Grill
Aikido
Massive thunderstorm that disrupted sleep for everyone

Saturday

Artfire work
Blueberry muffins. Still the same issue with this recipe. Argh! What am I doing differently?
Nap
Aikido
Attempted Blonde Oatmeal Raisin cookies
"Dark Shadows" in the theatre

Sunday

Artfire work
LoneStarCon3 work
Mother's Day lunch and Pappa's Seafood Kitchen
Nap
Once Upon a Time

Lunching out: Pelican Grill

Pelican Grill appeared on "Restaurant: Impossible" a couple of weeks ago. I've tried them once before, so I thought a couple of weeks after their episode of R:I aired would be a good time for another visit. Heavier traffic might have died down and they should still be in business.

The decor is a huge improvement. Previously it was strip mall salvage, now it's tied together and has a subtle seaside theme. The only issue I have with the new furniture is the banquettes have not been properly sanded. There's no risk of splinters, but it's still too rough for my tastes.

I think I ordered a burger last time, but I went with their chicken fried chicken this time. The waitress made a point of saying the green beans were fresh, leaving me to assume the corn and one other possible side were from cans. I ordered the green beans and the mashed potatoes as my sides.

The green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy were quite tasty. The chicken was tender, and the breading had a nice flavor, but the breading fell off the chicken if you looked at it cross-wise. I'd like to see how it works with the chicken fried steak, which is also on their menu.

The service was friendly and attentive enough for me. They didn't inquire about whether I was interested in a dessert before presenting me with a bill, but they did bring out the dessert without any trouble. The problem with the dessert is it appeared to be a Sysco standard: an ok filling and a blecch crust. It was improved by the fact that it was served warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

Overall opinion: good. I think it still pales in comparison to the Seabrook Classic Cafe, but it is an option if SCC is likely to be too crowded.

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 5/12/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Phillip, Brad, Marvin, Reese, Roderick, Charles, and Liz

Ukemi:

Partial set. Too many folks on the mat for me to take up the space I need.

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Charles on his set

Techniques:

Worked with Marvin on 1 and 2 at 3-step distance. The transition from maiai to 3-step is one that can mess with your mind.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Friday Night - 5/11/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Marvin, Gayle, Charles, and Liz

Ukemi:

Full set.

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Gayle on her set

Techniques:

Worked with Gayle on 1 and 2. Also worked with Charles on the same techniques.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Thursday Night - 5/10/2012

Aikido players: Phillip, Troy, and Sal

Ukemi:

Very light, a couple of rolls on both sides

The Walk:

Not tonight

Releases:

Not tonight

Techniques:

I worked with Sal on 1-10. We went through them all, 3 tries on each side on each technique. Then we worked our way back through the trouble spots: Gedan-ate, Ushiro-ate, Use-gaeshi, Hiki-taoshi.

Phillip and Troy worked on Hiki-otoshi and then 1-4

Aftermath:

None of note.

Sand Volleyball, 0-2, 0-2

Another night on the sand. Next week is the final week of the season, I think, and we're in last place.

This has been good for my skills, I think. I need to improve my vision when going up for blocks and be able to react better. I was targeted a couple of times last night for my weak return, I think.

Overall, my mobility and reactions have improved, but I still have a long way to go.

I feel like my feet have been polished each week after I get off the court. The soles of my feet feel a little sensitized.

Lunching out: Burger 101

Burger 101 took the spot formerly occupied by Prince's Hamburgers. I'd wanted to make it by to try Prince's, but did not manage to do so. Burger 101 has a relatively wide menu of pre-planned burgers and a variety of add-ons, as well. The available sides took me a while to find on the menu on one of there walls. I knew they had to have some, so I kept looking.

I ordered the Blue cheese and bacon burger with fries and lemonade. I think that ran me to around $12. I was tempted to try a shake, but decided to skip the extra calories.

The fries were decent, the burger was just ok. This won't be on my list of regular burger joints. I'd go to 9er's grill first.

Blueberry muffin recipe

After having lost the paper copy of the blueberry muffin recipe I've been using the past few years, I went searching for it again. It took a couple of days and a wide variety of search terms, but I found it. It wasn't on the same site as I first found it, but it's almost a twin to what I remember of the recipe.

Here's the recipe I found:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 beaten large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon grated orange peel optional
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen(not thawed)

Here's the recipe as I remember it:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*1 teaspoon baking soda*
1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 beaten large egg *
3/4 cup milk
* 1/2 cup oil *
1 tablespoon grated orange peel optional
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen(not thawed)

So, the difference between mine and the one I found:

Mine has a teaspoon of soda which the new one does not
Mine has 1 egg, the new one has two
Mine used oil, the new one calls for melted butter. I'm pretty sure my original called for either one, but I've been using oil as it's easier.

Cooking directions:

Bake muffins in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 35 minutes or until golden and centers test done (with toothpick). Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from tins and set on wire rack to cool completely.

So, this weekend, I'll try it with butter instead of my usual Canola oil and see if that gets the muffins to their normal color. The issue has been that the muffins *look* a little oilier over the past few weeks than they had previously.

Weekend update

Friday

Lunch at Burgers 101
Aikido
BBC Sherlock DVD

Saturday

Blueberry muffins. I've lost my recipe and my ability to remember the recipe has failed, so I have to start looking for a new recipe.
Mowed the lawn. Finally mowed down the wildflowers and the "Back 40"
Nap
Aikido
Dinner with K and K at Durango's
Started working on a Sourdough/Beer/Rosemary/Fennel bread
BBC Sherlock DVD

Sunday

Slept until 9 a.m.!!
More work on a Sourdough/Beer/Rosemary/Fennel bread
Nap
The SBRF bread failed
Work on another batch of Cafeteria lady rolls that failed
Once Upon a Time and Superhero movies on TV
Started working on another batch of Sourdough/Beer/Rosemary/Fennel bread

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 5/5/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Marvin, Gayle, Reese, Liz, and Charles

Ukemi:

Took a couple of falls, but was watching Marvin most of the warm-up time.

The Walk:

Once.

Releases:

Worked with Marvin on his set.

Techniques:

Worked with Marvin on Oshi-taoshi and Ude-gaeshi.

Also worked with Gayle on Shomen-ate and Aigamae-ate.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Friday Night - 5/4/2012

Aikido players: Tim, Sal, and Reese

Ukemi:

Full set. I think the first since the Gedan-ate incident a while back

The Walk:

Once

Releases:

Sal did just a couple with Reese

Techniques:

Worked with Sal on 1-6. We spent a lot of time on Gedan-ate and Ushiro-ate.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Thursday Night - 5/3/2012

Aikido players: Troy, Brad, and Sal

Ukemi:

Very light, a couple of rolls on both sides

The Walk:

Not tonight

Releases:

Not tonight

Techniques:

I worked with Brad on 1-4. We had the usual issue on Gedan-ate

Sal and Troy worked through 1-6.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Volleyball, 0-3

We ended the season at Gilruth with a final set of 3 losses. That put us in last place in the league and out of the playoffs.

The next season start in a couple of weeks. I hope we'll do better. We can't do much worse.