William, Chas, and Lisa made this snow dog
the other day. I think it's awesome and much
cooler than a traditional snowman.

Cleaning House

Wendy was in the cleaning mood today and found some old items we haven't used in about 25 years. Below are photos of one of my old razors and the old intercoms we used to use to listen to Missy when she was a baby.

This is one of my old razors. See below photo
and description as to how to install a new
blade. You could adjust the closeness of the
shave by rotating the shaft just below the
head. You can see the numbers which helped
you decide how close you wanted to shave.

To put a new razor blade into this razor, you
had to turn the base of the razor to open the
top. Then you dropped a new blade in. The
last step was to turn the base the other way
and close the top. Then you were ready to
shave.

Before wireless baby monitors were invented,
Wendy and I used these two intercom devices.
These were used to listen to our baby
daughter, Missy, 25 years ago.

Just in case you don't have enough photos of
me snowblowing, here is another one.

New Laser Printer

On the Black Friday sales day after Thanksgiving, I bought a laser printer. I got it for about $69.

Why a laser printer?

I'm tired of buying ink jet cartridges that have a thimble of ink for $30. I don't print that much and most of the time, I don't need a color printer.

So, today I installed the laser printer. It prints very fast. And the paper comes out toasty warm like cookies out of the oven. One drawback is that it is very noisy. When you start it up, it sounds like an airplane taking off. And the actual printing is noisy. But, so far, I like it.

It is a Samsung ML-2510.

 

Old man winter arrives in Madison, Wisconsin. 

P.F. (Pretty Fair) Chang's

Wendy and I ate at the Chinese restaurant P.F. Chang's for lunch today.

The restaurant is nicely decorated and we were seated quickly. We ordered an appetizer of Peking Dumplings, which was very good.

The first thing we noticed was that the menu had very standard, traditional Chinese food. There was nothing that we found that was unique or unusual.

Wendy ordered Chow Mein Shrimp and I ordered Sweet and Sour Pork. The food was very good but again not exceptional. P.F. Chang's may have a hard time standing out in the Madison area where there are lots of Chinese restaurants that are as good and some are also cheaper. We thought the portions were adequate but not as large as many other Chinese restaurants. So, there was nothing to take home when we were done.

P.F. Chang's is located in Middleton, WI, just west of Madison just off of hwy 12/14 on Greenway Blvd.

Here is a link to their web site: http://www.pfchangs.com/

My wonderful daughter, Missy, got me this great mug for
Christmas. Since this mug is designed for tea, it has a lid
(at left). Missy also made a clay sculpture with a New
Orleans theme for me, which was fantastic. 

Wendy took this photo of fireworks over the Capital in
Madison, WI, on New Year's Eve. 

Wendy and I stayed home for New Year's eve and ate
lobster. That was followed by cheescake, raspberry
cookies, and I had a Corona Light with a lime in it.

2006 TV Shows I Liked

These TV shows may not be the best TV shows on television but they kept me entertained.

24 Secret agent Jack Bauer keeps the adrenaline going as he saves America again. This show is patterned after the old cliff hanger shows which ended each week with the hero in an impossible situation.

Amazing Race Yes this show is showing its age but my wife and I enjoyed the couples' adventures as they traveled around the world. We always had our favorites and liked the twists and turns the race took.

Battlestar Galactica I grew up reading science fiction and watching "Star Trek." But it's been years since a decent science fiction TV show or movie has appeared on our screens. The exception is "Battlestar Galactica" (BG). It kicks butt. BG doesn't have a lot gadgets like a transporters or phasers, but it has interesting plots, sub-stories, and great character development. And it's ENTERTAINING.

Deadwood If you do not have HBO you might not have seen this show. "Deadwood" refers to Deadwood, South Dakota. This show occurs during the 1860s and has an ensemble cast similar to "Gunsmoke" or "Star Trek." There is a sheriff, a doctor, a saloon owner, and various other memorable characters, such as Calamity Jane. I loved this show, which ended last year. This series is available on DVD. WARNING: this show is not for children due to violence and language.

Grey's Anatomy This show about young surgeons was very good at times but sometimes it was more soap opera than medical drama. So, it was hit and miss.

Heroes I usually don't like comic book style movies and TV shows but I did like this TV show's unusual characters, their super powers, and plot twists.

House This show about a brilliant doctor can be excellent but it can also get caught up in its medical theories and jargon. Also, the main character, Dr. Craig House, is addicted to painkillers, and this can be interesting but the writers have to be careful not to use this chracter flaw too much.

Jericho This TV show focuses on a small town that goes through some difficult times after a nuclear war. This isn't the greatest or most original show but I've always had a weakness for end of the world type TV shows and movies.

*My Name is Earl I love this show. It's one of the few shows around that can actually make me laugh out loud.

Survivor This show is also showing its age but kept me entertained from week to week.