*The Top Secret project was finished just in time for it's presentation to Dave and Coalbe at the last Chef get-together. It seemed to go over pretty well with them, which I was quite happy for. There wasn't a whole lot said about Festiki by anyone, which kinda surprised me since it was the weekend before. There weren't a huge number of patrons at the restaurant, either, which ended up putting the raffle on hold till next month. So, even though I got lots of oohs and aahs over what I had made, I won't know who gets it till some other time. Dave also announced that there will be live bands at each of the meetings thru the end of the year, which should make things more interesting on meeting nights. After the meeting, a bunch of us decided to head out to the all-night flea market in Wheaton. We got there a little before midnight, and the place was still hopping. Had I wanted to, I could have gotten the autographs of both Joyce DeWitt and the Honky-Tonk Man. Don't ask me why they were there, because I really couldn't tell you. All I managed to score was a vintage Hawaiian shirt, a really nice (and huge!) hip flask, and a Coco Joe's zodiac pendant I had never seen before. Left there around 2 and got home around 3, which makes for one of our latest evenings out in longer than I can remember.
*Much as I do truly appreciate the various expressions of concern, I feel I should take this time to reassure everyone that the situation being fretted over is well under control.
*Lost a few days last week to an insidious mini-depression. Once a wake-up call had been issued by the Wife, action was taken to control the situation. The resolution (for now, at least) seems to have come with a return to my regularly scheduled medication, and a resumption of regular physical exercise.
*Tried Mike's Hard Mango Punch, and wasn't very impressed with it. While standing behind the bar, I noticed I had something that should, at least in theory, go well with it. I put a splash of that in, and it was indeed quite tasty. Encouraged by that result, I added yet another ingredient which I'm pretty sure is necessary, but have yet to determine the quantity needed. And of course, I put lime in it. It's still on the border of being too sweet, and the flavor isn't overly complex, but for a start it's pretty good. Once I get the final recipe hammered out, this may just become the signature drink of the Blue Moai Room. At the moment though, the drink isn't blue in color, and I don't really care that it isn't. But, it is something that may be accommodated in future versions of the recipe.
*I have yet to find that stupid water control chip. But at least this time I didn't have to go all the way to the Hub to get ropes.
*NIU is back in session! And so, there are loads of people wandering aimlessly all over the SW corner of town, which greatly impacts the aerobic value of my bike riding in a most negative way. This relationship is the direct inverse of the scenic value of my bike riding, however.
*Took a freshly sharpened chisel to a block of wood I've had laying around for a while and after 2 or 3 passes with the 18 maul, the edge was all nicked up. I have no idea what kind of wood it is, but it damn sure is some pretty tough stuff. I really don't feel like having 3 sets of chisels that are all ground to different edges, but something like that may just be in order. I really thought a 30 degree edge was going to be sufficient.
*Speaking of NIU, it has come to my attention that there is now a bar/restaurant open in the VCB commons. I have no idea how the owners managed to pull that one off. Having a bar right across the street from campus has long been the dream of many NIU students (and probably quite a few professors), and now it has come true. Might have to go over there and check it out for myself. The fact that it is a country/sports bar does give me a good reason or two to reconsider that decision. Still, it's something new in town, and I should probably give it at least one try before it dries up and blows away.
*If we nix the fall trip and start watching our pennies here and there, the idea has been put forth that a Hawaii trip might be possible next year. I like that thought, but there is a lot of research that needs to be done in the meantime. I'm thinking that finding an all-inclusive resort might not be a bad way to go.
*"We have met the enemy and they is us." A classic line from Pogo. Look it up.
*Still have no solid plans for what we're going to do for Sheri's birthday. It is highly likely to involve Chicago, but not much more is known beyond that at the present moment. She has graciously offered to go to Trader Vic's for dinner, but I know that's not really her preference and have told her to reconsider her choice. It also leaps to mind that I should be considering what her present is going to be. I got a month or so, so it should be no problem.
*I wonder if I can get a power adapter for my camera...
*The construction of the new bar has been put on hold until winter. Sheri brought up the quite reasonable point that I should be working on things that can only be done in the garage while I have the ability to be working in the garage. The bar is something that can be built over the holiday season, when it's unlikely that we'll be having people over. Plus, I'm thinking that I need to try and rope Bart in as a helper on this one. I think I could likely get Al to come over and lend a hand too. I already know how big it's going to be overall, but there are some less-than-common materials I have to get to give it just the right look. Luckily, I have access to the internet. But even though I know what size I want it to be, the manner in which it will be constructed and exact arrangement of the features is something I haven't figured out yet.
*Sheri's car is back from Motor Works once again, this time with a new oil sending unit. Since this critical little piece of equipment opted to die in our driveway, instead of while we were stuck in traffic on I90, we didn't have to replace the engine. But, if we would have had to, we would have ended up getting a new car. I say 'we' here when I really mean 'she'.
*So far, zero new messages, despite Tim's assurance that something will be arriving soon.
*Physical exercise is not something optional for me. If I want to keep my brain functioning as properly as I can get it to, I have to exercise. Not sure if that means I want to rejoin the Y or not. If I don't, that means I'll be plodding away on the treadmill all winter. If I do, it means I actually have to get up and leave the house when it's cold outside. That is a pretty even trade in my book.
*I wonder what it would take.......and am still wondering, since I have no idea what it was I was wondering about when I started typing this line.
*The Lounge will be open this Friday night, which reminds me that I have yet to call Mr. Harley and let him know.
*
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