so glad we're renting

western north carolina got a major rain/snow storm this weekend that dumped inches of rain in one day.

the living room ceiling sprouted lovely new water damage.

i feel badly for the people who own this house. they had to replace the entire HVAC last year for us (because it was spewing carbon monoxide and wouldn't heat above 60 degrees), and now it looks like they'll need to replace the roof.

there are 8 huge old dead hemlocks in the back yard that need to be removed too. the wooly adelgid killed them sometime in the past 5 years. if they take these dead trees and their roots out, and don't plant something major in their place, however, the yard will be barren and i believe this house will slide down the hill in the next decade.

home ownership is not cheap. especially ownership of 100 year old homes built into the side of hills.

window seat app

(CECT-6 phone by Daniel Christensen)

my cell phone is a walkie talkie.

some of you however may have a more modern device. something more like...how you say...smartphone?

if you have one of these phones that downloads apps - you should definitely try out WindowSeat.

Track your flight without GPS or a network connection. WindowSeat gives you a better view of where you’re flying, when you’ll arrive, and what’s below you, all while you’re offline.

super cool! right?

and our friend phil is heavily involved in this sweet invention. props!

http://www.windowseatapp.com/

eat the puppy

i would eat that dog's head in one bite.

WTF ingles?

amazing pizza invention

 

1 metal rod, bent in 6 places. so simple, so MINDBLOWING.

reminds me of these bauhaus chairs

grate

the crackle of the new fire is the same as the crackle of the record.

rondettes

one of the most random things about asheville is the colony of rondette houses up on the mountain close to downtown.

this is from the april 1969 issue of popular mechanics, where they showed you how to build your own rondette.

these things are still standing. they're not in the best shape. not sure a flat roof is a great idea for a temperate rain forest, many of them have makeshift tarps on the roof.

rondettes are not to be confused with weaver chicken rondelets, which i used to eat out of the toaster oven growing up. i seem to recall a layer of cheese under the breading.

5 year birthday

 

i've been posting this crap for 5 years as of today.

thanks for being here! and for being there! and all for the support in the form of clicks and comments! you know it's true, everything i do, i do it for you.

this picture was the first post ever.

who's who

the home team wears white

i remember this by imagining the white house.

(kenny george wore white while playing at UNC-A)

*some controversy exists - in 2003 the NHL switched to home teams wearing dark...to sell more merchandise...woo hoo for creating rampant confusion in the quest for the dollar! 

but in general, and still, the best rule to remember is home team wears white.

nose ear guitar and slipper socks

arts

"There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth."
- Richard Avedon

honk for jesus

honk if you like geese (rip vv)

skewering shrimp pierre

these shrimp are HUGE. they're under 8's which means there are 8 or fewer per pound. they are like mini lobster tails.

they were marinated over night in the simple and delicious shrimp pierre recipe.

recipe here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skippyhaha/4655632269/

OM NOM NOM