tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9714679996424665622024-03-19T14:59:20.542-07:00Brad Bradford, At Your ServiceBBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-40726713676506532662022-02-12T16:46:00.000-08:002022-02-12T16:46:40.149-08:00Of Cribbage and Life<p style="text-align: justify;">So often in life, a sequence of events that we may (or may not) have personal control over can affect us in many different ways. We may have an accident, be injured, and can't work for several weeks. We can save money every paycheck until we have enough for a Las Vegas vacation ... win a bunch on the slot machines ... and then lose it all on the roulette wheel. Cribbage can be the same way. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some of my early childhood memories involve watching my New Hampshire grandparents Jennie and Clarence Robinson playing cribbage at their kitchen table on Cascade Hill. The cribbage board was always sitting on her table along with a deck of cards. When they spent their summers at the camp on Maidstone Lake, in Vermont that old cribbage board was right there with them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nana and Gramps played cribbage every day, sometimes several games a day after Gramps retired from the paper mill. If one played particularly well, the other would sometimes get a little angry if there was a little too much bragging taking place at the table! On occasion, they would stop talking to each other all together, pegging and scoring in silence until the guilty party apologized!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For those who may not know, cribbage is a card game that dates back to the 1600s and was invented by the English poet Sir John Suckling. It is a game for two, three, or four players with a distinctive method of scoring points and keeping score using a wooden board with holes drilled in it. Wooden pegs are used to mark each player's position on the board. The first player to score 121 points wins the game.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The game is played using four phases per hand: dealing, pegging, scoring, and the crib. After dealing six cards per player, each player takes two cards from his hand and places them face-down to make the crib. During the pegging phase, each player takes turns laying down a card from his hand and declaring the running total of the cards laid down. Points are "pegged" whenever the total hits an exact number such as 15 or 31. If a pair of cards or three consecutively numbered cards are played in succession points are also pegged. Experienced cribbage players will try to save certain cards in their hand to facilitate aggressive pegging.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once all the cards have been played, the players score their hand and then peg the number of points counted. Finally, the crib is scored by whoever dealt the hand. The deck is passed to the other player who deals the next hand.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">My Nana was one of those aggressive serious-as-a-heart-attack cribbage players, who rarely failed to peg points on every hand. Just like in life, it comes down to how well you do the little things that can make a tremendous difference in the final outcome!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfWgTsJIuz_WpUYOMEiL1k9hFDpEmTMPUIL4bS45xiRiMqJjFRqQe9K-ZUnTPl4GbQgUerI4fkzGoQZN-Dh1aZjk86u1wC2u-xIKE5U2LsBtSv1O1jL_varucL0nYNI28oukCQw0tRJeVaxiQyAxuFGUZLoYwcFZSdGwtx93c0_0EfiQ2i-oV013XG=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfWgTsJIuz_WpUYOMEiL1k9hFDpEmTMPUIL4bS45xiRiMqJjFRqQe9K-ZUnTPl4GbQgUerI4fkzGoQZN-Dh1aZjk86u1wC2u-xIKE5U2LsBtSv1O1jL_varucL0nYNI28oukCQw0tRJeVaxiQyAxuFGUZLoYwcFZSdGwtx93c0_0EfiQ2i-oV013XG=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Mindy and I were playing cribbage the other day. We pegged fairly evenly until the second half of the game when I pulled ahead. She scored a couple of nice hands and caught up to me. I was two points away from the win - I had the red pegs and Mindy had the green. She dealt the hand, so I would be counting points first unless I "pegged out" before the hand was finished! With a 6-7-8-J hand I was guaranteed a minimum five points at the count. Of course, it would be rude and un-sportsmanlike to declare victory at that point!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Mindy needed 11 points to win. She said something to the effect that she was "guaranteed to lose" and "why bother playing the hand". I reminded her of my Nana and how she would have reacted if she were in that position. Nana was a tea-totaling Methodist who rarely drank ... but this would have been one of those "here ... hold my beer and watch me do this" moments for sure!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0QBlvBivnX_Ol29Mg4wW04-JjFkOMlpE9MY8hXgx1qLUdA_HfM1be4xahqJW4hXEimCWZCclLhCKQ9xUPBEPwGbtDEtl5Q0L80s9dwfA0gGD6ElEohISfZKSMED_9DMK_VcfdYIF0Nz151-f644zmAuIYuS7SzzsoI_zBCuS0mYvYvmEIBDaDgGhO=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0QBlvBivnX_Ol29Mg4wW04-JjFkOMlpE9MY8hXgx1qLUdA_HfM1be4xahqJW4hXEimCWZCclLhCKQ9xUPBEPwGbtDEtl5Q0L80s9dwfA0gGD6ElEohISfZKSMED_9DMK_VcfdYIF0Nz151-f644zmAuIYuS7SzzsoI_zBCuS0mYvYvmEIBDaDgGhO=s320" width="320" /></a></div>I led with the seven of spades. Mindy followed with the seven of clubs (14) for two points.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I then played the Eight of Hearts (22) and she played the Six of Hearts (28) for three points. She also pegged one point for the "go" at 28. She pegged six of the 11 that she needed ... but I wasn't worried!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I led the Jack and she countered with the Eight of Clubs (18). I played my final card, the Six of Spades to bring us to a 24 count. The look on her face made me realize that I had been "had" ...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">She finished with the Seven of Hearts (31) pegging three for her <b><u>second</u></b> 6-7-8 run of the hand and two more for the 31! Mindy pegged 11 points while I was shut out! Needless to say she was quite proud of herself. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Me, I handled the loss just as my Grandfather would have ... I kept my mouth shut!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-44594458622009054052021-06-13T16:23:00.001-07:002021-06-13T17:30:49.461-07:00Repairs and Upgrades to the Family Lake Cottage<p><br /></p><div data-block="true" data-editor="6o02g" data-offset-key="3c66g-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3c66g-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is fairly certain that anything</span><span data-offset-key="3c66g-1-0" style="font-family: inherit;"> that was first built in 1948 will need some work and repair after awhile. And so it is with the cottage on Maidstone Lake that my Grandfather and my Uncles built as a fishing camp back in '48. The original (and very rustic) camp evolved over the years into a finished and comfortable cottage. So far, five generations of Clarence and Jennie Robinson's well-extended family have enjoyed the Maidstone experience at Lot 108!</span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="6o02g" data-offset-key="c6vko-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="c6vko-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TnUEwLt15rfqP-cPqfj3QPmTxoUzpCGTxoPeM-UjA6CRWFuG1baTm-zvasJL6SeBVR5fsKgypNJwuMmXPew_AXmRg4qMZVsG_Sr7qyJWnLYXAdLVAlvdhyphenhyphenHkN9LQHMOfbM6otqvAD3k/s2048/20190803_141650.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TnUEwLt15rfqP-cPqfj3QPmTxoUzpCGTxoPeM-UjA6CRWFuG1baTm-zvasJL6SeBVR5fsKgypNJwuMmXPew_AXmRg4qMZVsG_Sr7qyJWnLYXAdLVAlvdhyphenhyphenHkN9LQHMOfbM6otqvAD3k/s320/20190803_141650.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="6o02g" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the years, the original underpinning of the camp has given way to rot, decay, and soil erosion. The rear sill (road side) sank into the ground to the point where the first floor joist was held up by a large rock, preventing the complete collapse of the rear wall! The attached shed (which also houses the bathroom and laundry facility) had also pulled away from the main building. Several additions to the shed along with many built-upon concrete pours created a situation whereby the shed's entire support system had completely failed as well.</span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although it looks fairly good in this 2019 picture of the rear entry, this entire section of the camp was about ready to collapse totally! The sill under the living room window was completely rotted, and the cement floor just inside the entry door had failed and was no longer supporting that inside corner! Old memories and the Grace of God was the only thing holding this area up!</span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have also noted over the past five years or so, a major sag in the main camp floor, which caused a real "uphill battle" to get from the kitchen, through the living room, and up to the front porch!</span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;">Uncle Barney said we needed to "jack the camp up" and fix the problems. I started looking for someone who had the knowledge and experience ... and found a contractor whom I knew and trusted. The only problem was, at that time he was booked out for over two years!</div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ff96s-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I9Iu1w7exRTwKM9PF_vBn-Epqb5-DGOXngXU61pSB2ykoNgfZZvBesDn5UBOiE5CoigwQRnLFiJ1oMJw2gvALFinedLdNOK2Ne1KTB7PDaVXun-i7kR3U-FoH3XgnZsqW9t_Oq4JOj4/s2048/IMG_0542.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I9Iu1w7exRTwKM9PF_vBn-Epqb5-DGOXngXU61pSB2ykoNgfZZvBesDn5UBOiE5CoigwQRnLFiJ1oMJw2gvALFinedLdNOK2Ne1KTB7PDaVXun-i7kR3U-FoH3XgnZsqW9t_Oq4JOj4/s320/IMG_0542.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqNuRrcnxKGlM29D7fbjbpLChCPpd7DesHIj4ya1wvjhBbFNBHm2CuggiL8OZSdY617182f1B37g2fuClLNPKrU-W21AL3yumB8DROCR47-s4rUZJxZN92iX4TqBJ1VZyVqLqjA_XdmA/s2048/IMG_0538.JPG" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqNuRrcnxKGlM29D7fbjbpLChCPpd7DesHIj4ya1wvjhBbFNBHm2CuggiL8OZSdY617182f1B37g2fuClLNPKrU-W21AL3yumB8DROCR47-s4rUZJxZN92iX4TqBJ1VZyVqLqjA_XdmA/s320/IMG_0538.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, we finally got started last month., May of 2021. We began by opening up the floor in the living room to access the underpinning below. Years ago, the camp was high enough for skinnier versions of Uncles and Cousins to crawl under the camp, jack it up, and repair the supports. We found several failed supports, and a lot of muddy, swampy ground below! Gravel was hauled in by hand and tamped into the soggy ground. Pressure Treated </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">4x4 </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">beams were used to support the floor joists between the main center beam and the gable sills. </span></div></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bunks were constructed from pressure-treated 6x6 timbers to support the new beams as well as the original center beam. Over 26 tons of gravel was used to build up the ground under the camp!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">A similar opening was made in the kitchen into Nana's bedroom to support that side, in the same manner as the living room. The boathouse floor was also opened to allow for the placement of gravel and bunks along the "Sullivan" side of the camp.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdzAJJaHJuc-tTJrZRu0gI2ITajW79ZwZiI8R4FudpSJO6zVn1yWH4HXZa7HaImNejyvU-A-WokRVf4EV4R-8Z0pKp6e6Jk-0YBPWQbuP2JmcTjTLpShnCKi4CLT7rrKr9bXVBJ_84nI/s2048/IMG_0534.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdzAJJaHJuc-tTJrZRu0gI2ITajW79ZwZiI8R4FudpSJO6zVn1yWH4HXZa7HaImNejyvU-A-WokRVf4EV4R-8Z0pKp6e6Jk-0YBPWQbuP2JmcTjTLpShnCKi4CLT7rrKr9bXVBJ_84nI/s320/IMG_0534.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The sill on the back side from the driveway to behind the stove was also replaced using pressure treated beams.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">By this time, the main camp had been raised enough so that some of the sill from the corner to the driveway side living room window could also be replaced. But, we discovered yet another major problem!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxXOl1HucG8oqcW162Zh-nsQUBznVUWrZuFwUyUvPUvNOOvzsHalOXCd2TTx2G8HmcsF90MZrAxmWlrHtxIBEykRjpWhHCAuAtmt2GWiM7X8UuUckmaREKndHWArLaGODjn4wLbcSun8/s2048/IMG_0537.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxXOl1HucG8oqcW162Zh-nsQUBznVUWrZuFwUyUvPUvNOOvzsHalOXCd2TTx2G8HmcsF90MZrAxmWlrHtxIBEykRjpWhHCAuAtmt2GWiM7X8UuUckmaREKndHWArLaGODjn4wLbcSun8/s320/IMG_0537.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">This photo to the left shows where the old chimney was located, along with the inside view of the corner between the shed and the rear wall shown in the picture above. See the daylight? Yep, that's a real support problem! Since that entire entry-side wall was resting on failed concrete (the result of adding on to the shed and building over sidewalks) we needed to replace the entire entry wall from the main camp to the road-side corner!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qLcNlqYjmqNM6KMp0hLf2gYGTGYnem6tUCJg-NRTPaKh-EZv4dMHRqFZSsIfDqV0eDLhWoKdMa5js28LOXUAxeYfs7il1E7jyWjh1b7rhc2v3f1v-AnI6dFpak-w0FMOqW9IX_FBPEc/s2048/IMG_0571.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qLcNlqYjmqNM6KMp0hLf2gYGTGYnem6tUCJg-NRTPaKh-EZv4dMHRqFZSsIfDqV0eDLhWoKdMa5js28LOXUAxeYfs7il1E7jyWjh1b7rhc2v3f1v-AnI6dFpak-w0FMOqW9IX_FBPEc/s320/IMG_0571.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">So, here it is ... the wall is gone and the remaining concrete is about to be removed. A new door and window will be incorporated into the new wall.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I will keep you all up to date and follow up with more pictures as we progress.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We are planning on having the "Pennsylvania Robinsons" (Kenny, Nancy, Kenn, and AJ) at camp from July 9th to the 11th! Work will be mostly completed by then, and the place will be ready to rock and roll!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Peace!</span></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></div>BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-83914924158393747442021-01-15T18:10:00.000-08:002021-01-15T18:10:02.455-08:00Vintage Cast Iron cooking along with modern Calphalon non-stuck pans for a combined meal!<p style="text-align: justify;"> My followers know that I love cooking with vintage cast-iron cookware ... some of which came from my maternal grandmother's collection, along with other pieces I have found and restored in antique shops along the way. I am also fond of modern-day Calphalon non-stick pieces ... each and every piece of cookware in our kitchen has its purpose and place!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Today, Mindy and I shopped at Winn-Dixie and picked up four pounds of 80% hamburger for $2.99 a pound. Needless to say, a good old-fashioned Salisbury Steak dinner was in order ... along with plans for Enchiladas, Chili, and who-knows-what with the remaining three pounds of hamburger over the next two weeks!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, for tonight's supper, I started with a coarsely chopped onion sautéing in a cast iron skillet. I used my recently-acquired and restored vintage Lodge 5SK for the veg getting a very nice caramelization on the onions. I added some chopped white mushrooms, along with salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. I made two half-pound Salisbury steak patties seasoned simply with salt and pepper.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I planned on cooking the formed and seasoned ground beef in my Birmingham Stove and Range #8 cast iron skillet that I picked up a few years ago here in Florida. To complete the meal, we had some fried cabbage left over from our Wednesday night's supper. (It was great the first time ... why not again)?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN1j6lH589QgHq6mgpXhc_YuqFj2gRavhVYYti5nICc-q8-UPlCo8tfCIPr_5JYi_96UQrNz4XqWN0BueZ9Q8ov7Ctiz5XwmKsMwj4F896WN-_DE-sTqQvI1nQ-b2gK3WOmiufi93qSY/s2048/IMG_0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN1j6lH589QgHq6mgpXhc_YuqFj2gRavhVYYti5nICc-q8-UPlCo8tfCIPr_5JYi_96UQrNz4XqWN0BueZ9Q8ov7Ctiz5XwmKsMwj4F896WN-_DE-sTqQvI1nQ-b2gK3WOmiufi93qSY/w476-h357/IMG_0474.JPG" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Clockwise from upper left ... leftover cabbage in Calphalon, a tea kettle for later, mushrooms, onions, and rosemary in my three-notch Lodge 5SK, cut russet potatoes boiling for mash, and Mindy's Salisbury Steak browning nicely in my BSR #8. (My steak will fire shortly, since I like mine "medium".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4aa3LjhZX9EUeU5-KlNt5ZGpep9G7h-_65dqReQpqT2JjwWWkZ4c7sVUdc0bkrOIpqquK8JiccOf4HsIQpkf9OngHfW3TeWwK9gaak3jKkVdisgBtdl26P8K1nJ8NKcxTsdNXT4n6LI/s2048/IMG_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4aa3LjhZX9EUeU5-KlNt5ZGpep9G7h-_65dqReQpqT2JjwWWkZ4c7sVUdc0bkrOIpqquK8JiccOf4HsIQpkf9OngHfW3TeWwK9gaak3jKkVdisgBtdl26P8K1nJ8NKcxTsdNXT4n6LI/w456-h343/IMG_0476.JPG" width="456" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We see Mindy's steak getting a nice sear ... and mine is not overcooking! Both of them in the BSR!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I added a little flour to the onions and mushrooms to make a roux. Nothing stuck in this little beauty! I added some beef broth, a little Worcestershire sauce, and a touch of Gravy Master to complete the groovy gravy!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And here is the finished and plated product:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBxo7-MPhAyZVeS-w8N2ehInT4onTwGL2AzWo8JBRztYK3OOB6TJWFhO7x47E72yGHfSfj-Ee3_rwktoqmcCXvisblMCMFyTsIGozXvzwXzCbwSzjB71qGur2JBe-8ONXYMZgL5w3wBM/s2048/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBxo7-MPhAyZVeS-w8N2ehInT4onTwGL2AzWo8JBRztYK3OOB6TJWFhO7x47E72yGHfSfj-Ee3_rwktoqmcCXvisblMCMFyTsIGozXvzwXzCbwSzjB71qGur2JBe-8ONXYMZgL5w3wBM/w456-h342/IMG_0478.JPG" width="456" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is certainly a place in every kitchen for both vintage (cast iron) and modern (non-stick) cookware!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A great meal, fun to cook, and a joy to share with my bride!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Peace!</div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-79127488088842022722020-12-20T18:11:00.003-08:002020-12-20T18:19:36.177-08:00My Nana's Vintage Wagner Skillet vs A 1960s Lodge Skillet - Cast Iron Wars!<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgKh7H2peOTuHeC588kiTB6-5JnDxBKArAuzHISQOHq_xHeHwFWnuXBTndD18T6UJYKUndWCejRUXe_r0KYEW7wZ-CC9Lah_7myxtl0PWEJDlH9wWoyH0NXiQUddM_wE1nwUT79BSgjk/s2048/IMG_0434.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgKh7H2peOTuHeC588kiTB6-5JnDxBKArAuzHISQOHq_xHeHwFWnuXBTndD18T6UJYKUndWCejRUXe_r0KYEW7wZ-CC9Lah_7myxtl0PWEJDlH9wWoyH0NXiQUddM_wE1nwUT79BSgjk/s320/IMG_0434.JPG" /></a>Three years ago I "rescued" an eight-inch (approximately) cast iron skillet from my grandmother Robinson's collection. It was at the family's lake cabin in Vermont, stored under the kitchen cupboards, and starting to rust, just like <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/971467999642466562/949046066962202227">Nana's Cast Iron Dutch Oven</a>. It quickly became one of my favorite pieces ... the perfect size to sauté onions, mushrooms, peppers, or any combination thereof! A single steak or burger fits perfectly in the skillet ... and it is one of my most "nonstick" pieces of cast iron cookware. </p><div style="text-align: left;">It is an unmarked (unbranded) piece manufactured by Wagner sometime shortly after 1960, based on the "Made in USA" verbiage on the bottom. It has the typical Wagner physical characteristics ... a smooth interior along with a triangular shaped flat spot underneath the handle where it attaches to the body of the skillet. Also, notice the number 5 on the handle, another common Wagner characteristic.</div><p style="text-align: left;">Earlier this month, I picked up a piece that I first saw at a local antique shop about a year ago and passed it up. It was dirty and sort of rusty looking, and I wasn't sure if it was worth its asking price of $12.50. Kind of "cruddy" and unloved, it spoke to me again this year when I was browsing the same shop, looking for good buys on cast iron. There it was in all its glory ... a post-1960 three-notch Lodge 5 SK skillet!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHmok_16ag6yPaDiNQv-NUwEgDXgKMfEPEAWQkOPANiT8o5qzg0NIoktYbZjhUlBsuh5bTR2fyMyjWhvkfDAAuZ04CRCvtwdyR0DQWLDElFrnfEvZzeifX8v-311Ah8catBwDmuJX6TM/s2048/IMG_0412.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHmok_16ag6yPaDiNQv-NUwEgDXgKMfEPEAWQkOPANiT8o5qzg0NIoktYbZjhUlBsuh5bTR2fyMyjWhvkfDAAuZ04CRCvtwdyR0DQWLDElFrnfEvZzeifX8v-311Ah8catBwDmuJX6TM/w320-h261/IMG_0412.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFmVuTSUW4othoCBaaJydq5hvgkHI3-ELQQXSQCGxIdDbof5r-xg7elIUhHqlW8F6SbU_d8bj_gfy2MNfk_m4iVV_BbVF-jb9oT0XChFcr6s2r4JRxFRhQSMcbLWALrV1MvGm54FfxDY/s2048/IMG_0416.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFmVuTSUW4othoCBaaJydq5hvgkHI3-ELQQXSQCGxIdDbof5r-xg7elIUhHqlW8F6SbU_d8bj_gfy2MNfk_m4iVV_BbVF-jb9oT0XChFcr6s2r4JRxFRhQSMcbLWALrV1MvGm54FfxDY/s320/IMG_0416.JPG" /></a></p><br />Well, a little bit of clean up work and re-seasoning left it looking so much better! It was not as hard to clean up as I thought it would be! I felt very lucky to have passed it up a year ago and it was still there for me to love this year! It was destined to be mine!<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; direction: rtl; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoR92eIGTHEsfElpw9n7D3u8BVXD2hhq0TPUSzFwDhGbItefM9UsRQFmtPi4IxErFXMKJGtn4pQIG8VEQorNaiHbRrFz8NUkFW6xtUSjFPmmI5-qJ8ur-nZF4EM8Yj5uW2sxHtPHkHQQ/s2048/IMG_0430.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoR92eIGTHEsfElpw9n7D3u8BVXD2hhq0TPUSzFwDhGbItefM9UsRQFmtPi4IxErFXMKJGtn4pQIG8VEQorNaiHbRrFz8NUkFW6xtUSjFPmmI5-qJ8ur-nZF4EM8Yj5uW2sxHtPHkHQQ/s320/IMG_0430.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It has the typical Lodge "rough" interior and hefty feel. After using it for some light sauté work, I wondered how it would compare with my trusty Wagner for some serious cooking ... so I decided to put it to the test!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A steak cook-off starring one of the tastiest pieces of beef ever known to mankind ...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq91M9nSJ3lcmz-6uXZIJTeLlBmNbrSA1pt9PcN-KE-OvDd8_AhcghUsmzsrr2O3ywT_vAzsf4h4YK-vKNwBK3BJYG3FO6N2RZZipP_W5HtNlANbzKhkTsU93Z6pGLhIEQRCEy9B9-lk/s2048/IMG_0437.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq91M9nSJ3lcmz-6uXZIJTeLlBmNbrSA1pt9PcN-KE-OvDd8_AhcghUsmzsrr2O3ywT_vAzsf4h4YK-vKNwBK3BJYG3FO6N2RZZipP_W5HtNlANbzKhkTsU93Z6pGLhIEQRCEy9B9-lk/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>... Rib Eye Steak! Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, it is well noted for being flavorful, tender, and predictably easy to cook to your favorite level of doneness. A simple probe with a meat thermometer and you can't go wrong!</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0PidykFlz3_I_Pbp6IVnR9-Ru2voV3Rmfg6j9nG_AoU6bUkaj-eQm1wPA8HqUJgolrbNcdYwUoehoPiqsCXOvGtmoOSTpYko9MXGxzWZxDoQ1FRA8bXRrghtGaMHSTQqPLbpMaUc68s/s2048/IMG_0439.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0PidykFlz3_I_Pbp6IVnR9-Ru2voV3Rmfg6j9nG_AoU6bUkaj-eQm1wPA8HqUJgolrbNcdYwUoehoPiqsCXOvGtmoOSTpYko9MXGxzWZxDoQ1FRA8bXRrghtGaMHSTQqPLbpMaUc68s/s320/IMG_0439.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I put on the skillets, added a little oil, and fired Mindy's steak first in the Lodge. She likes her steak medium-well to well-done, so it went first. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wondered if the extra weight of the Lodge might overcook the steak ... well, she wouldn't notice, would she? After all, she likes hers well-done!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1X6rN_fXEEx4QCkKgs1j9xww7IcP68dXaZ_QI8mSS2fSeTj30ev1INt8AwQNqNLveNgPwnlJFY6F47tlZTo0H7js_lnG9Rpj1quikN5UIZs43EdhjLAjzGpWfHI0tw_DWnTaNYxI1e8/s2048/IMG_0442.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1X6rN_fXEEx4QCkKgs1j9xww7IcP68dXaZ_QI8mSS2fSeTj30ev1INt8AwQNqNLveNgPwnlJFY6F47tlZTo0H7js_lnG9Rpj1quikN5UIZs43EdhjLAjzGpWfHI0tw_DWnTaNYxI1e8/s320/IMG_0442.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mindy's steak is coming along quite nicely, after being turned over. I'm drooling already!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitef0L4lr0_2Hr4SdlI12GNuzHAUcm9qQxG8LGT3hE5cVLqW10c25oWvdoga7FeRac6_D8CB5uwv5oJXqYEHbtWdIZEDhf7VHx-qRQGLu2Q4ivHrBWlSMLlyXO9e09BKFYjtFjzV-FExU/s2048/IMG_0444.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitef0L4lr0_2Hr4SdlI12GNuzHAUcm9qQxG8LGT3hE5cVLqW10c25oWvdoga7FeRac6_D8CB5uwv5oJXqYEHbtWdIZEDhf7VHx-qRQGLu2Q4ivHrBWlSMLlyXO9e09BKFYjtFjzV-FExU/s320/IMG_0444.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I fired my steak at the appropriate time to produce a medium temp along with a nice looking sear, but it was not as nice looking as Mindy's steak in the Lodge on the right, due to its shorter cooking time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU65sBzEsF8-eq8OreQbKDsVDOox-NWYv3LAoHFMdPRxo2cESF11CLTPRotu5RP0akVi9NzkO4ob155eWn4r-FWr2TDDEXF2Dx9SKbe7DspkiL_dpU51jRLfisqG6D3a5uMjRP_4H-0Y/s2048/IMG_0452.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU65sBzEsF8-eq8OreQbKDsVDOox-NWYv3LAoHFMdPRxo2cESF11CLTPRotu5RP0akVi9NzkO4ob155eWn4r-FWr2TDDEXF2Dx9SKbe7DspkiL_dpU51jRLfisqG6D3a5uMjRP_4H-0Y/s320/IMG_0452.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>My steak, along with a stuffed portabella mushroom. Nicely medium, with a juicy texture and lots of flavor. Looks and tastes great!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskPKHvQRYPOSflJKmFoH0fHtI6Twd7driljRQFImBbrF64Snowg3Rux0S2KymL7xCyeih3n2uOb8xe1ACciJtVAtxIW4em5F9pH55wElLSISzr1kpnSPXKbPztXJB8hlRlAtSI18icOg/s2048/IMG_0454.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskPKHvQRYPOSflJKmFoH0fHtI6Twd7driljRQFImBbrF64Snowg3Rux0S2KymL7xCyeih3n2uOb8xe1ACciJtVAtxIW4em5F9pH55wElLSISzr1kpnSPXKbPztXJB8hlRlAtSI18icOg/s320/IMG_0454.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mindy's Steak: (with a little added butter on top!) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Notice that even with the darker sear, she still has yummy steak juices on her plate! Looks like the Lodge may have outperformed the Wagner!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So what was the final result? Well, they were both good, but the Lodge did edge out the Wagner in presentation and taste!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mindy's steak, cooked in the Lodge, had a deeper sear. She said it was a little under-done (admittedly cooked slightly to the medium side of medium-well) but was still acceptable to her. The taste was top-notch, with the surface sear adding a great Maillard-effect yumminess that made her day! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Wagner produced a perfectly medium outcome. Nothing came close to sticking ... and it was its usual "easy cook" Wagner experience. But, the sear did not compare to Mindy's steak cooked in the Lodge. At the first turn of her steak I could see a good outcome in the works!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Both skillets cleaned up with equal ease. Hot water, with a soft scour sponge to loosen the few "sticky bits" on both skillets and they just needed a quick wipe with a 100% cotton dish towel to look good as new.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, the Wagner has asked for a rematch ... I will perform the same test but next time, I'll cook Mindy's steak in the Wagner (where its longer cook time should still produce an acceptable sear) and cook mine in the Lodge. My expectation is that the Lodge will produce a great sear in a shorter cook time on a medium steak, while the Wagner will nicely sear a medium well steak without drying it out to the point of well-doneness-steak-hell! We should experience the best of both worlds!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stay tuned for the rematch ... sort of like Ali and Frazier, only different!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p></div>BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-6209225261743872052020-06-22T14:13:00.002-07:002020-07-24T09:07:25.049-07:00Butter, Rice, Pancakes, Syrup, and the End of IconsReading recent news articles earlier this year has left me astounded, confused, and sad. I learned that some of my favorite people, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Mrs. Buttersworth are soon to be no more.<br />
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Icons of my life are being "cancelled" and "removed" from my consciousness due to some perceived racial and cultural hatred. I say "perceived" because I myself don't hate anyone ... regardless of race (the people you come from) or creed (the things you believe in) or national origin (what country you come from) or political affiliation (the party you belong to.) According to some, removing these items from our collective consciousness will somehow cause us to be "woke" and will atone for all the past social injustices we are irrationally being held responsible for.<br />
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Earlier this year, I read an article that indicated that Land O' Lakes (the butter company) was removing the female Native American image (I can't say "picture of Indian maiden", can I?) from my familiar package of butter ...<br />
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Almost 100 years ago (1921) over 300 dairy farmers started a creamery company in St. Paul, Minnesota, known as the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association.</div>
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Although marketing in those days was not as complex as it is today, with radio in its infancy and television not yet invented, printed ads and package graphics was about all that was available to advertise and market products with. It didn't take a real marketing genius to decide that "Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association" was never going to be a best-selling brand name!</div>
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The MCCA put their collective heads together, and decided that some sort of regional-themed brand name was in order. With Minnesota known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" (well that won't fit on the box, will it?) they finally settled on "Land O' Lakes" and the rest is history. In keeping with their Minnesota branding, they also featured other aspects of that fair land, such as clean blue water, lush green grass, beautiful pine trees, and a horizon filled with golden sun. Oh, by the way, there was this Indian maiden featured as well. Her name is Mia, and she was stylized as the stereotypical Native maiden.</div>
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<b>Hit the brakes! Stop the presses! Didn't anybody ever tell you that the native peoples of North America historically did not consume dairy products? Don't you know that people of that genetic background are very lactose intolerant? Why would Mia give me something to eat that she herself would never consider eatable?</b></div>
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I've got to hand it to Land O' Lakes ... they came to the realization earlier this year that their association of Native American imagery and dairy products didn't quite add up. I might note that there was nobody protesting about or failing to purchase their product when they made this decision. They just up and decided that Mia on the package didn't fit their future branding strategies. Good for them! I can't disagree ... after all, it is their company, and their brand! And, by the way, I will continue to purchase their fine, rich, golden, buttery-tasting product!</div>
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I can honestly say that purchasing a pound of butter with Mia's likeness on it never caused me to feel superior to or hate Native Americans. Likewise, using Aunt Jemima pancake products or cooking Uncle Ben's rice never invoked feelings of white supremacy within my soul. I like Cream of Wheat, too, and the picture of Rastus on the box had no influence on my enjoyment of the product one way or the other.<br />
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If you look back at earlier packaging for these products, or at their early advertising images, the characterizations and presentations of these icons was undeniably racist. While unacceptable today, it was <i>de rigueur</i> in those times. We have no right (or reason) to judge past people long since dead by modern-day standards!<br />
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Very few Americans alive today ever bought Aunt Jemima pancake mix with Aunt Jemima depicted as a "mammy" stereotype, or Cream of Wheat with Rastus as an illiterate "step-and-fetch-it" stereotype.<br />
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As our American culture changed, these marketing icons kept pace with changing social sensibilities. Uncle Ben's image evolved over the years into that of a well-to-do older black man. Aunt Jemima is an attractive woman and no longer a plump, gap-toothed smiling "mammy". Rastus for years has been depicted as a chef and not a laborer.<br />
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So what gives with Mrs. Buttersworth? Are British-American citizens protesting over her image as a plump white grandmother? (The bottle is brown to keep light out ... Mrs. Buttersworth is undeniably white!)<br />
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As innocent images of our youth fall under the wrecking ball of political correctness and becoming woke ... let's close our eyes and remember the song from the syrup advertisements of a bygone era ...<br />
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<i><b>... Aunt Jemima waffles ... without her syrup</b></i><br />
<i><b>... Is like the spring ... without the fall</b></i><br />
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<i><b>... There's only one thing worse ... in this whole universe</b></i></div>
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<i><b>... And that's no Aunt Jemima at all! </b></i><br />
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Rest in peace, icons. Rest in peace!</div>
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BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-55752489290954161052020-05-15T11:55:00.001-07:002020-05-15T11:55:30.845-07:00Another Use For Leftover Chicken!During our COVID-19 pandemic lockdown many of us have turned to food as a source of comfort during these difficult times. Mindy and I are both experiencing work cutbacks ... the northern New Hampshire weather has been disagreeable (even for May) and we are beginning to feel the effects of "cabin fever!" So, as I have been doing quite often lately, I decided to cook something entirely different for supper.<br />
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I also like the challenge of turning leftover items into something that looks and tastes like it was never a leftover.<br />
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While I was in the middle of cooking, Mindy came into the kitchen with her phone to her ear, in deep conversation with my mother-in-law. "Mom," she said, "I wish you could smell this through the phone! This is going to be deeeeeelicious!" It was.<br />
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This is so different I don't think you will find a recipe anywhere but here. Introducing <i>Pollo Latino de Brad </i>(Brad's Latin-style Chicken.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkmZuG80xguSfFh17mDx6uXnOdbd6Wo9RyfuenSeZRtX3svCXA_CGo-Ds0wqul7wprvrECLyleXACUlmBu-8vWouaf-o97Rl3tfdFfGjmzGMQghi9b4-DLkeoma3K5xmK0uDr2Lwbnos/s1600/20200513_172911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkmZuG80xguSfFh17mDx6uXnOdbd6Wo9RyfuenSeZRtX3svCXA_CGo-Ds0wqul7wprvrECLyleXACUlmBu-8vWouaf-o97Rl3tfdFfGjmzGMQghi9b4-DLkeoma3K5xmK0uDr2Lwbnos/s400/20200513_172911.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>3 Pre-cooked boneless chicken breasts</li>
<li>Light Olive Oil or other mild vegetable oil. (Don't use EVOO!)</li>
<li>1 medium yellow onion, slivered</li>
<li>diced sweet peppers (I prepare a mixture of green, yellow, and red peppers)</li>
<li>1 pkg Vigo Yellow Rice <i>(Arroz Amarillo)</i></li>
<li>Badia <i>Sazon Completa</i></li>
<li>Goya (or Badia) <i>Adobo</i> seasoning</li>
<li>1 can Goya <i>Gandules Verdes </i>(Pigeon Peas)</li>
<li>Lime juice</li>
<li>Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper</li>
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Prepare Vigo Yellow Rice according to package directions. It takes about 20 minutes to cook. Empty the can of gandules into a small saucepan along with liquid and warm gently. Do not boil the gandules!</div>
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In a 10" skillet heat about 3 Tbsp oil and add onions and peppers. </div>
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Saute over medium heat until vegetables start to carmelize.<br />
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Keep the veg moving around in the skillet. We want flavor and color to develop, without burning! Add a little more oil if needed.<br />
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For the chicken, I used three leftover lemon pepper breasts that I cooked on the grill for Mindy's Mother's Day dinner. Any cooked, skinned, and deboned chicken meat can be used, however.<br />
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I sliced the chicken into medallions. If using leg or thigh meat, simply cut into bite-sized pieces.<br />
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Add chicken to skillet mixture. Reduce heat to medium and arrange chicken so the medallions are touching the surface of the skillet. Allow them to gently brown, turning as needed.<br />
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Season to taste with Sazon, Adobo, and pepper. I used about 2 Tbsp Sazon, 1 Tbsp Adobo, 1 tsp pepper.<br />
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Sazon has become one of my go-to seasonings over the years. It is a blend of salt, cumin, and other seasonings that define the flavor of Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban cuisine. Adobo is another latino seasoning, consisting of salt, garlic, pepper, and ground oregano. Be careful of the salt content and season lightly at first. You can always add more later!<br />
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Now that your kitchen is filled with the aroma of Latino soul food ... the rice is about ready and the gandules are warmed thoroughly ... add the ingredient that makes the flavor explode:<br />
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Lime Juice! (About 1/8 cup) Deglaze the pan and loosen all the sticky bits of flavor from the bottom! Turn the heat down a little, and allow the sauce to reduce. Taste! If the lime flavor is a bit too strong for your taste, add a couple tablespoons of water. Or, if you prefer, a little more lime juice!<br />
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Add additional seasoning to taste. If the sazon is strong enough but the dish needs salt, simply add a little kosher salt.<br />
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Serve over rice with a side of gandules. <i>¡Provecho! </i>(Bon Appetit!)<br />
BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-28372621310776145662020-05-04T17:58:00.002-07:002020-05-15T10:52:26.902-07:00Rabbit Hash ... my love of soup ... and a small town in Kentucky!As many of you know, I come from a rather eclectic combination of family heritage. My mother was born and raised in Coos County, New Hampshire. When she was commissioned as a Lieutenant (in the Salvation Army Nurses Corps) and working at a Salvation Army hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, she was introduced to my father ... a brother of my mother's co-worker and the son of a poor truck driver who grew up during the Depression in Boone County, Kentucky. The rest, as they say, is history.<br />
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As a classic "Boomer", I grew up with the knowledge of how hard my parents had it when they grew up during the Great Depression. I understood that everything was scarce when they were young ... that my generation had it much better ... and it seemed like I was reminded of that fact nearly every day! Just when things were getting better for them, along came World War II and everything was scarce again!<br />
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In our modern time (2020) and experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic first-hand, I feel fortunate that I can relate to the stories I heard from my youth of how they grew up and withstood the impact of those two major life-altering events. If they could endure, so can I!<br />
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While growing up, we would often eat a simple soup made with whatever leftover meat we had on hand and a few fresh vegetables (usually onion, celery, potato, and carrots) mixed with whatever else was available (leftover gravy) to fortify and flavor the mixture. Pappy always called it "Rabbit Hash" and I came to realize that this was one of the meals (along with soup-beans and cornbread) that helped sustain my ancestors during those difficult times. I grew to appreciate not only the flavors but the God-given sustenance that those meals provided!<br />
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Rabbit Hash is also the name of a small town in Boone County, Kentucky, just a few miles south of the county seat, Burlington. Rabbit Hash sits right along side the Ohio River, directly across from the town of Rising Sun, Indiana. For many years, a ferry connected the two towns to the point where they became as one community. In fact, in the mid 1800s, Rising Sun had a post office that served that region of Boone County. Rising Sun was closer to the railroad, and they sent the mail by ferry to Rabbit Hash.<br />
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Now, how does a town come to be named "Rabbit Hash" anyway? It seems that around the spring of 1847, when the Ohio River was running over its banks, a flood caused a quantity of small game (including rabbits) to run toward higher ground. Local residents, hanging out at the store, began to worry about what they might be able to cook for dinner if the waters raised much higher. One local fellow, observing the rabbits running uphill, said "we can always have rabbit hash!"<br />
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The Rabbit Hash General Store, right in the middle of the village of Rabbit Hash, was the center of that small community.<br />
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My Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Ambrose Bradford, lived in the Carleton District of Boone County back in those days. The Carleton magisterial district of Boone County extended from the river all the way up toward Burlington. Ambrose lived at the end of Locust Grove Road (off of East Bend Road) and his property extended down over the hill to the east to Gunpowder Creek. He and his family were living about halfway between Burlington and Rabbit Hash, and according to Census records, were receiving their mail from Rising Sun.<br />
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Fast-forward to 2020. This evening, I turned to my ancestral roots and once again produced a rabbit hash. My lovely bride, Mindy, is not a big fan of soups in general, although she does admit that when I make my "stuff" it is somewhat edible! When she got called in to work unexpectedly this evening, I took the opportunity to make one of my life-long favorites ... and it was good!<br />
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A couple of nights ago we cooked some pork loin rib-eye steaks, and had some of the pork leftover. We also had some leftover kale, along with some rice from that dinner. I chopped a little onion and celery ... sauteed that with some vegetable oil, and added some diced pork. I seasoned it with a little kosher salt, pepper, and thyme. I added a cup and a half of water, along with a cup and a half of Clamato juice. I chopped up the kale and added it to the mixture along with some halved grape tomatoes. I let it simmer for 45 minutes, then added the cooked rice. Another 15 minutes or so, and it was ready to serve with some shredded parmesan cheese and a little parsley.<br />
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Yep ... pretty darned good if I say so myself! I'm sure my Pappy would like it ... and I wouldn't be ashamed to serve it to Grandpa Ambrose either! Try it sometime ... you may come to love Rabbit Hash ... either the leftovers or the village!<br />
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<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-80547597587286230612020-05-04T15:58:00.000-07:002020-05-04T16:06:14.228-07:00I'll never run out of toilet paper ... EVER!Over the years, I have grown so accustomed to the media (usually <i>The Weather Channel</i>) creating mass panic whenever a usually expected weather event is arriving. Having lived in northern New England for my entire adult life, I am used to the onslaught of winter storms that will dump any measure of snow on us anytime from November to April ... with occasional dustings from early October to mid May! But, if you listen to the reports ...<br />
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"<i>Oh my God ... a winter storm is coming ... go to the grocery store and buy every gallon of bottled water and every loaf of bread ... we can't possibly use it all ... but if we don't empty the shelves, we're all gonna die!!!"</i><br />
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In northern New England, we always have storms in the winter. Usually one right after the other. Snow falls, we shovel it, and it falls again. After a lifetime of that, we made the decision to start wintering in Florida where it doesn't snow! My bones don't ache, the sun shines daily, and life is quite nice!<br />
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I generally ignore the "Chicken Little the sky is falling" stuff, so imagine my dismay when I discovered we actually couldn't buy any toilet paper once the "news" announced that we were all going to be locked down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.<br />
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Sure as "shit" ... we went to our favorite Winn-Dixie store on Seminole Boulevard ... and there was none to be found! We went to Publix ... Walmart ... Neighborhood Market ... Dollar General ... Family Dollar ... not a single roll ... anywhere! We started going at odd times, and finally found some early one morning at good-old Winn-Dixie!<br />
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The media had induced a panic-buying situation that completely decimated the supply chain ... and made it impossible for anyone who had not preemptively purchased a year's supply of bathroom tissue to find a single roll. What if we could never buy TP again?<br />
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But then ... I remembered!<br />
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My maternal grandfather ... Clarence A. Robinson ... worked in a paper mill in Gorham, NH. Many years ago, just prior to his retirement in the early 1960's he was involved in the installation of a new tissue machine at the Brown Company Cascade Mill.<br />
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At our family lake cottage, in Maidstone, Vermont, there is a roll of toilet paper in a plain paper wrapper. Written on the wrapper in pencil is my grandfather's handwriting ... "from first good reel of paper made on new Tissue Machine Cascade Mill May 7, 1962."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlIB6V42dT7gYuYdeghqhkqk92lnhLqUfXDJRLGEyaeE9afto4a5r3-X9rd7e9Wt96-Rp7ogKBphMdj9zLtJmFMRXgZFt8rJidNfweZ_RbtY96QZw7TSFGxa1Dww_bEBsC9kKDv7RAEE/s1600/20190621_141848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlIB6V42dT7gYuYdeghqhkqk92lnhLqUfXDJRLGEyaeE9afto4a5r3-X9rd7e9Wt96-Rp7ogKBphMdj9zLtJmFMRXgZFt8rJidNfweZ_RbtY96QZw7TSFGxa1Dww_bEBsC9kKDv7RAEE/s320/20190621_141848.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This roll of TP has been safely tucked away since 1962 ... maybe Gramps knew something we didn't about the Great Shortage of 2020 that would come to pass 58 years in the future!<br />
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Paper mills used to be scattered throughout northern New England, located alongside powerful rivers that provided not only a source of power, but a means of getting the raw material (trees) to the pulp mills. For the most part they are now gone ... a victim of a changing paper demand and higher transportation costs that makes it much less costly to manufacture low-quality softwood paper (like tissue) in other parts of the country. One mill in New Hampshire is still producing tissue ... the former Brown Company mill at Cascade ... on the same machine that produced our heirloom roll.<br />
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Paper machines operate on a 24 hour schedule, shutting down only for repairs or scheduled maintenance. They can only produce so much paper each day. There is very little excess capacity within that industry. Once the supply chain has been wiped out by panic and hoarding it will take some time for it to recover. Good luck to us all!<br />
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We used to have a supply of low quality paper delivered to our homes several times a year in the form of the "Sears, Roebuck & Company" catalogs. It made for a good emergency supply ... like if we ever got snowed in for a week and couldn't make it to the store!<br />
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Of course, the Sears catalog has gone the way of the buggy whip ... obsolete and no longer manufactured. Replacing it, of course is Amazon and Internet shopping ... and no matter how hard you try or how desperate you become, <b>you can't wipe your butt with a web page!</b><br />
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<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com05 Fletcher St, Lancaster, NH 03584, USA44.488040591737814 -71.56198786296657544.482376591737811 -71.572072862966579 44.493704591737817 -71.551902862966571tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-81886264320742853572020-04-03T18:24:00.000-07:002020-04-03T18:24:05.363-07:00Of People and Possums - Part TwoIf you haven't had a chance yet, please read <a href="https://bbays03584.blogspot.com/2020/04/of-people-and-possums-part-one.html" target="_blank">part one of this tale</a> about our recent departure from our winter paradise in Florida!<br />
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We departed from Largo, Florida at 4:30 AM on Saturday morning. Traffic was almost non-existent. We made every traffic light green on Ulmerton Road except one. We crossed the Howard Frankland Bridge on I-275 into downtown Tampa ... we merged onto I-75 at the Pasco County line exactly one hour after we left "home."<br />
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Wait a minute ... I'm sounding exactly like Sergeant Joe Friday from <i>Dragnet</i> ... just the facts, ma'am!<br />
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By 8:30, we had crossed the state line into Georgia. Our bladders were full, my coffee was empty, and our gas needed replenishment according to the fuel gauge and my anal retentive travel habits. The sun was up, the air pleasant, and Georgia welcomed us at Exit 1 on I-95. A half hour later, we were back on the road with empty bladders, washed hands, and a full tank of gas. While I was filling up the tank, co-pilot Mindy ran into the Pilot truck stop and bought me a bottle of Dunkin' Mocha iced coffee. We were ready to go!<br />
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Along the way north on I-95, we found gas to be cheap, restaurants to be closed, and traffic to be light. The container of chicken salad that Mindy made before we left served us well as we broke open our cooler to have lunch at the I-95 rest area by Lake Marion in South Carolina. The bottle of Stok un-sweetened iced coffee in the cooler was a great substitute for the usual cups of hot black mud formerly purchased at the Pilot truck stops that generally kept me going through the day.<br />
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Rest areas were unusually empty and extraordinarily clean. Mindy mentioned how "spooky" they felt, being so empty, compared to usual. As we progressed northward, each state featured highway advisory signs that carried a unified message.<br />
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<a href="https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/jit/5502557045001/672febe4-ca61-4575-a6f3-f0e704d35ef9/main/1280x720/18s357ms/match/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Will I-77 Stay Home signs help convince people to do so ..." border="0" height="179" src="https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/jit/5502557045001/672febe4-ca61-4575-a6f3-f0e704d35ef9/main/1280x720/18s357ms/match/image.jpg" width="320" /></a>"Stay Safe" ... "Stay Home" ... "Practice social distancing: ... "for COVID-19 info visit www.<insert state-specific website here>.com." The general feeling was thus: <b>If you are reading this sign ... what the hell are you doing here?</b><br />
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We arrived in Ashland, Virginia before dark, and as usual, pulled up for the night. Our room at the local <i>Red Roof Inn</i> was clean ... with the distinctive aroma of disinfectant cleaners lighting up our nostrils as we entered the room. A bent shower curtain rod and missing towel rack were the only things that made our stay less than perfect. We ate more chicken salad sandwiches, and used the microwave to cook some Yakisoba noodles to allow the driver to satisfy his carbohydrate cravings.<br />
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As soon as it was dark under the table, we tucked ourselves into bed. Alarm clocks set for 3AM, we got up as planned, showered, and hit the road once again. A quick stop to fill up with gas in Ruther Glen, VA at <i>Mr. Fuel</i> ... no hot coffee available (but thank God for Stok) ... Mindy bought a carton of Virginia state low-priced Marlboro cigarettes ... and we were on the road once again! Clear road, clear skies, and clearly, we were on our way north!<br />
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Outside Fredricksburg, VA, we took US 17 north towards the city of Winchester, and the junction with I-81. US 17 leaves Fredricksburg as a four-lane highway gradually climbing upward through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains toward the Shenandoah River. About 10 miles from Fredricksburg it crosses the Fauquier County line. Fauquier County is my Bradford family ancestral homeland, and as such is a place near and dear to my heart. US 17, bypassing the town of Warrenton, runs just a few miles from the place where one of my Bradford forebears, George Nevill, operated an "Ordinary" (otherwise known as an inn) near Auburn, VA. Nevill's Ordinary is a place among many that has the distinction of having George Washington as a regular guest, while young Washington was working as a surveyor in the area under the employ of the area's major land owner, Lord Fairfax.<br />
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As we climbed higher into the foothills of the Blue Ridge, the vision ahead grew more foggy. I slowed down, and let my low-beam headlights light the way using the right-side white line to guide us. Mindy, thankfully, was asleep, as she gets quite nervous under these driving conditions!<br />
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Just north of Delaplane, VA, US 17 turns into a two-lane road with a strictly-enforced 45 MPH speed limit. Radar-equipped speed warning signs appear every two or three miles along this stretch, flashing brightly if you are exceeding the posted maximum. Having traversed this 10-mile stretch of speed-controlled road before, I could only remember fondly how beautiful it is during sunny daylight hours, and I slowed down to the speed limit to avoid being caught in this pre-dawn speed trap. The last thing I wanted was was a local Sheriff's Deputy telling me "you in a heap of trouble, boy" at 5:30 on a foggy Virginia morning!<br />
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The fog made it much more attractive to slow down ... low beams ... slow go! Behind me was a pickup truck ... riding high, with his headlights glaring into my rear-view mirrors. He was clearly annoyed that I was following the speed limit ... I could barely see ... and we were in a well-known speed trap! There were no shoulders on this stretch of road, and I could see no place to pull over so he could pass. I wished like hell he would pass me and get it over with! He couldn't be more than half a car-length behind my rear bumper! I prayed for God to have him back off and slow down!<br />
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Right after I crossed a railroad crossing and started down into the valley ahead, I noticed movement on the right-hand shoulder of the road. "Oh oh," I said to myself, "something is crossing in front of us." I immediately recognized the shuffle of a possum crossing in front of me. Narrow two-lane road. Dark. Foggy. Pickup truck just inches from my rear bumper. I couldn't swerve right, no shoulder. I couldn't hit my brakes or risk being struck hard by the truck behind us. I thought about swerving left, but saw headlights approaching from the north. Nowhere to go but straight ahead.<br />
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As I got closer to the possum, he kept crossing at the same pace. Suddenly, he looked up, and saw my approach. He then did what possums do best ... he played possum! He hunkered down, belly flat on the road with his eyes opened real wide and glassy looking. He opened his mouth, and stuck his tongue out. That was the last I saw of him.<br />
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Thunk. (Front cross-member possum hit number one.)<br />
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Twang. (Bounced off the exhaust system somewhere behind the catalytic converter, hit number two.)<br />
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KERTHUNKKKK! (Hit the trailer hitch receiver, just inches from the ground due to the heavy load of northbound stuff we were carrying, massive hit number three.)<br />
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"What was that?" Mindy hollered as she woke up from her slumber. "Nothing" I said. "Just ran over a possum. We're all right."<br />
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"Ok," she said, and went back to sleep.<br />
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The pickup truck quickly backed off. I'm fairly certain my trailer hitch receiver, on that final "Kerthunk" may have flung some possum meat up into his windshield ... but either way, he did back off until we arrived at the intersection with US 50. As I stopped at the red light, I couldn't help but notice a real funky odor coming up through the cockpit as we waited for the light to turn green. Mindy, thankfully, was asleep. At the first opportunity, once we turned left onto US 50, the pickup passed us and I never saw him again.<br />
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The remainder of our trip was somewhat uneventful. More chicken salad sandwiches, Stok coffee, and some beef jerky and honey buns for good measure. More fog in Pennsylvania ... no traffic in Hartford. Every once in a while Mindy would ask "What's that smell?"<br />
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Later, while traveling through Massachusetts, the electronic signs were different. They spoke of a 14-day quarantine for everyone arriving in the Bay State. Now my general feeling was that of Dante's Inferno ... and the sign on the gates of Hell ... <b>"Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here!"</b><br />
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Our stop at the Vermont Welcome Center on I-91 was different from our usual pleasure. The main building (and its restrooms) was closed. It felt so good to stretch my legs and breathe northern New England air ... but my bladder was telling me "you gotta go, dude!"<br />
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There were porta-potties set up at the edge of the parking lot. Mindy "suggested" that I glove-up before I went in there ... so, being the good husband that I am, I grabbed a pair of our "gas station vinyls" and stretched them over my hands. I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the outhouse ... locked the door, did my business, unlocked the door, and de-gloved before pushing the door open with my elbow. My eye caught a wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispenser, so I glopped a handful of alcohol-based lifesaver and rubbed my hands together with a smile on my face!<br />
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We got back home to New Hampshire around 5 PM. Thankful to be back in our own house, we unloaded our house plants and other items that we didn't want to leave in the cold overnight. We warmed up some canned supper and turned in for the evening. Our son left us with about 30 gallons of water to flush with until the town could come in the morning and turn our water back on. Life was good, and we were home!<br />
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Later, as I crawled into bed, I took my usual time at the end of the day for devotions and prayers to my maker ...<br />
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<i><b>Dear Lord ... I thank you for the safe travel back from Florida. I'm so sorry I killed your possum in Virginia this morning ... but oh, sweet Jesus ... I am ever so thankful you sent a possum to slow that pickup truck down instead of a moose!</b></i><br />
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Amen!<br />
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<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-62016798449013444512020-04-01T18:07:00.001-07:002020-04-01T18:07:16.648-07:00Of People and Possums - Part OneMy lovely bride, Miss Mindy, and I recently returned home to New Hampshire from our winter stay in warm and sunny Florida. We cut our planned visit short by two weeks due to the spread of the novel Coronavirus, amid the general uncertainty of exactly where the safest place to be on earth presently is.<br />
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Many of our "snowbird" neighbors in Florida are Canadian. With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic to North America many of us were waiting, watching, and wondering if we were safer there or "back home" in our northern states or Canada. I, like many, did not want to leave the warmth and enjoyment that we have in wintertime Florida. There were still many activities planned at the clubhouse that everyone likes to participate in. The days were getting warmer, and the pool invited us all with the promise of its comfortable relaxation. We were making regular trips to a mangrove beach on Tampa Bay, where we could enjoy the warm bay water, Mindy lounging in the sun and me reading a book in the shade of a mangrove tree while sipping on iced tea and eating sushi from our local Publix store. Life, as we were living it, was quite relaxing to say the least!<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Opossum_with_grapes.jpg/220px-Opossum_with_grapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Opossum_with_grapes.jpg/220px-Opossum_with_grapes.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Now, the opossum is a very interesting and somewhat misunderstood animal. The predominant "possum" in North America is the Virginia Opossum, which ranges east of the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to northern Costa Rica. Possums play a vital role in our ecosystem as they eat a variety of yucky things, such as rats, mice, slugs, cockroaches, ticks, carrion, rotted fruit, and human garbage. I suppose you could call them the garbage truck of the animal kingdom! They are the only marsupial found in North America, with the female giving birth after a very short gestation period and carrying the babies in her pouch, each one having attached itself to one of her 13 teats until mature enough to leave the pouch.<br />
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Possums are known to have an amazing immune system, do not get rabies, aren't bothered by poisons that would kill most other animals, and are immune to snake venom. About the size of a house cat, the possum has very little to defend himself with, except his appearance. With 50 razor-sharp teeth, a possum with mouth wide open, hissing, drooling, and blowing snot bubbles out of his nose is an imposing sight to some smaller predators.<br />
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To protect itself against larger, more aggressive predators, the possum will actually fake his own death. He hunkers down, opens his mouth, sticks out his tongue, and goes into a mild coma. He also releases a noxious green fluid from glands located around his anus. No self-respecting carnivore would ever eat something that grotesque and stinky! The action that we call "playing possum" is an involuntary process that evolved to protect the possum from becoming someone's lunch.<br />
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People sometimes "play possum" too, when they are faced with a crisis or situation that frightens them and don't know what to do. Thankfully, we don't actually lay down, stick out our tongue, and stink to high heaven. But we do stop whatever is going on and involuntarily do nothing until we figure out what it is that we need to do.<br />
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And so it was in beautiful, relaxing Boca Ciega Village on Walsingham Road in Pinellas County, Florida. As the news advanced about the growing number of infected people in the US, we went about our daily activities and lives with the attitude (as stated by one resident) "We've got our own little bubble here. We're safe."<br />
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Then our President declared a state of emergency. We needed to stop playing possum!<br />
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The Canadian government asked all citizens to return to Canada as soon as possible. The Canadians' private health insurance plans (that cover the difference in cost between US and Canadian health care) were advising them that their policies would be cancelled if they did not return immediately! Within a matter of just a few days our neighbors from the north were gone! Those with cars left as soon as they could pack their bags. Those who were flying made immediate reservations and prayed their flights would not be cancelled ... some were delayed for days. Refrigerators were emptied, and groceries donated to those who hadn't left yet. (Glad we could help!)<br />
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Spring break arrived, as it does every year in Florida, with massive numbers of college-aged kids whose still-maturing brains could not understand the concept of social distancing and staying away from Florida this year. Beaches and restaurants were closed as a result of their lack of appreciation for the situation at hand. Closing as well was our beloved mangrove beach, and eventually the county closed our community swimming pool at Boca Ciega.<br />
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Many American residents started making plans to leave early as well. Our park has about 25 (out of 138) year-round residencies, with the remainder being seasonal. We were down to a little over 50 remaining two days before we left. We packed our things and studied the weather forecasts. We targeted our exit date. We said "goodbye" to paradise.<br />
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While reading the news, we learned that New Jersey and the NYC Metro area were real hotpots for COVID-19. Our usual, shortest, and fastest route goes straight up the New Jersey Turnpike to New York City. Years of trips back and forth conducted with my anal retentive behavior patterns reminded me that we cannot make it through NJ without stopping for coffee, restrooms, and gasoline. No how, no way!<br />
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So, this year, we decided to avoid NJ by turning north just before Washington, DC, and taking I-81 north into Pennsylvania. This would allow us to then turn east on I-84 well north of NYC, scoot safely into CT, MA,VT and finally arrive in NH.<br />
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Our plans were set ... the van was loaded. A final restful night's sleep in Florida and we were on our way at 4:30 in the morning. Dark. No traffic. Northward bound!<br />
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<i>Stay tuned for Part two of our exciting travel adventure!</i><br />
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<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-86959470061209037912019-04-05T18:08:00.000-07:002019-04-06T03:06:35.836-07:00My Brother's Picture on the Wall ... Part IIA few months ago I wrote about how <a href="https://bbays03584.blogspot.com/2018/08/" target="_blank">I fulfilled a deathbed promise</a> to my father to find my half-brother (and his long-lost son) Tommy. Here is how it all turned out ...<br />
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During my last conversation with my father, Lloyd (Brad) Bradford, Sr., I promised him that I would keep looking for Tommy, his oldest son and my half-brother, long-lost due to a difficult divorce between Pappy and his first wife. Pappy passed away only a few hours after I made that promise to him. Here is what I was thinking when I finally found Tom:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>We did it, Pappy ... we finally found Tommy! But, just like the car-chasing dog who finally caught one I have to ask myself, "now what do I do with it?" I couldn't help but have the fear that he did not want to be found ... and vowed that if that were the case, I at least could know he was alive and had what appeared to be a good life.</i></blockquote>
Over the past few months, Tom and I had several email conversations. We exchanged pictures, asked each other a bunch of questions, and started the process of getting to know each other after all these years. I couldn't be more wrong about my fear ... he truly appreciated being "found!" This winter, during Mindy and my "snowbird" extended vacation in Florida, my mother suggested a trip to Kentucky to visit with my Uncle John and Aunt Shirley, who are my Pappy's younger brother and his wife. Since they live just a few minutes away from brother Tom and his wife, Brenda, we thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to visit with them and meet up face-to-face.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY0_bKjyCFhXJDMq7uN0_MFfS0AHyLYPfG-_phUTYve1ra9p649tLYXfdLjVe8dt3O-bkaWoyB6I99oqB14o1el5dAM94rG3tlawLI0bjr09fW-kdws8CrheuNdLP-KrxaOScobieF_w/s1600/Tom+Communion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY0_bKjyCFhXJDMq7uN0_MFfS0AHyLYPfG-_phUTYve1ra9p649tLYXfdLjVe8dt3O-bkaWoyB6I99oqB14o1el5dAM94rG3tlawLI0bjr09fW-kdws8CrheuNdLP-KrxaOScobieF_w/s320/Tom+Communion.jpg" width="247" /></a>I sent a message to Tom a week or so before our trip. He and Brenda invited us to join them for Sunday Brunch at the <a href="http://www.greyhoundtavern.com/" target="_blank">Greyhound Tavern</a>, a "taste of true Kentucky hospitality" located in Ft. Mitchell, near the family homeland. They also invited us to join them at their house in Burlington, KY, after brunch for an afternoon visit. After a wonderful meal (loaded with great conversation and down-home flavor) we followed Tom and Brenda to their home.<br />
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As our conversation continued, we talked about the picture that my parents had hanging on our wall while I was growing up. I described it to Tom, and he excused himself and went into the other room. when he returned, he had a portrait in his hand. "Is this it?" he asked.<br />
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Immediately my mind was taken back to the youngest days of my youth. I was looking at the exact picture of Tommy, my big brother that graced our living room wall so many years ago. In the lower right-hand side of the image was the name of the studio that produced the portriat, "Rembrandt" ... a detail that I had long since forgotten but immediately recognized. Yes, my brother, this is how I remembered you after all these years.<br />
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"This was taken at my first Holy Communion," he said. "I was maybe seven or eight years old then."<br />
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I looked again at that picture from long ago. I immediately recognized the look on his face ... his eyes ... I saw myself in my older brother ... I saw our father. After that, it was hard to see through the tears in my eyes that I tried bravely to hide from everyone else.<br />
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So, where are we after all these years? I am 62 as of this writing ... Tom is 74 ...<br />
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Here is our first-ever picture together, along with Uncle John Bradford ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERAwQvBF7yVS_RSp-SuwNY0WyE9xSxTI-BWV_mglX8hanTpziAS2q1ItEfuECYbMFXGt9y2JHExdK5jJb_5LKNPhkhC7zJUlWGN01BuTL1GVWUP9T805GLXMYYDtjN8QQRnVLZPnr370/s1600/DSCF2238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERAwQvBF7yVS_RSp-SuwNY0WyE9xSxTI-BWV_mglX8hanTpziAS2q1ItEfuECYbMFXGt9y2JHExdK5jJb_5LKNPhkhC7zJUlWGN01BuTL1GVWUP9T805GLXMYYDtjN8QQRnVLZPnr370/s320/DSCF2238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ok ... I might be taller ... and I'm damned sure fatter! (I take after Grandpa Russell Bradford.) Tom, in the middle, is grinning from ear to ear ... and Uncle John with his cane is taking his rightful place as Family Patriarch ... Uncle John holds the record as oldest-living male member of our family ... outliving my Pappy and Great-Great-Great Grandfather Ambrose Bradford (2nd and 3rd place respectively.) May all three of us (and our collective sons) beat this longevity record!<br />
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I'm hoping that all of us, our sons, and grandsons can get together again someday for a real "family reunion" ...<br />
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During our visit, Tom shared his "man-cave" with me. Brenda and Mindy got to know each other as sisters-in-law (and really hit it off) ... Uncle John and Aunt Shirley discovered that a neighbor of theirs was Tom's Aunt Wanda, his mother's sister! All these years ... all of us so close ... and yet, so far apart! We enjoyed Tom's potato and leek soup, along with sandwiches and Brenda's outstanding hospitality. At the end of the day, we realized how much we had grown to love these fine people after just a few hours of getting to know each other. We exchanged hugs, kisses, and expressions of true love. We departed with a promise to get together again soon!<br />
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I love you, my brother! I can't wait until the next time we see each other!<br />
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<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-56958046203957696472018-08-26T09:07:00.000-07:002018-08-26T09:07:29.531-07:00My Brother's Picture On The WallToday's blog is personal. Very personal. I am, however, blessed to be able to share this personal story with my friends, family, and the world! If you share a tear with me, please let it be a tear of joy.<br />
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My father, Lloyd Irvin Bradford, Sr. (also known as "Brad") grew up during the Great Depression in rural Boone County, Kentucky. He was the son of a farmer's son turned truck driver (Russell Bradford); his mother was an irresponsibly wild woman named Emma Irvin. His early years were marked by absolute poverty and abuse from his heavy-drinking parents. Emma left the family sometime around 1933, after the birth of their youngest child. My father, about 10 years old, was given the task of taking care of his four younger siblings, two of them still in diapers. Russell was mean and abusive, while Emma was cruelly absent. The 1940 census found my father, tired of being beaten and going to bed hungry, living at the Kenton County Infirmary ... otherwise known as the "poor house." In 1941, prior to his 17th birthday, Emma falsified documents claiming that he was born in 1922, making him old enough to fraudulently enlist in the Army. Three square meals a day, a warm place to sleep, new clothes, two pair of boots, and $21 a month made that the best living he had known up to that point in his young life.<br />
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After serving with a coastal artillery unit protecting the Panama Canal, he was reassigned in 1944 to Ft. Knox, Kentucky. This assignment, only two hours away from his family, gave him the opportunity to go back home on occasion where he met and married a local girl four years younger than he was. They had a son, Thomas William Bradford, and were divorced six months after Tom's birth in 1945. My father remained in the Army, where he found guidance and security, and did not see his son for about 10 years due to several overseas deployments and hard feelings between him and his former wife.<br />
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In 1955, my father returned from assignment in Germany to Kentucky. He had been corresponding with my mother while overseas, and once he was back in the states they became engaged. Tom was living with his maternal grandparents, who had in the past allowed limited contact between Tom and our father. My parents took Tom out for lunch and a movie one day. Tom's mother found out about it and cut off all further contact. Tom's grandmother had given my folks a school picture of Tom from when he was about 10 years old. I recall him looking upward in the photo, with his hands clasped together as if in prayer. My parents called him "Tommy" and I, like most little brothers, looked up to my "big brother," even though we had never met.<br />
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I grew up with my brother's picture on the wall in our living room. My father's Army career had us moving around every few years. Tommy always "moved" with us, and "hung out" in the living room with the rest of us. Pictures of my younger sister and I always hung on the wall next to Tommy.<br />
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"Mom," I asked, "Why doesn't Tommy live with us?"<br />
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"He lives in Kentucky with his Mommy," she would reply.<br />
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"Can we see him when we go to Kentucky?"<br />
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"Maybe someday," she would say, "maybe someday."<br />
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There reached a point where my sister and I were older than Tommy was in his picture. Finally, after one move, my parents put his picture away. Letters from my father to Tommy were long since returned by the Post Office, unopened and refused by his mother and grandparents. My father must have thought it was a lost cause, and that he would never have contact with his oldest child ever again.<br />
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Over the years, Tommy was mentioned in casual conversation, usually around the holidays. My parents held hope that he knew how to contact my grandfather Bradford in Kentucky and would someday get in touch with us. Once Grandpa retired, moved to Florida, and passed away that hope was lost.<br />
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In 2013, my father lay dying in a hospital in Spring Hill, Florida. When I arrived at the hospital, he was barely responsive and drifted into a coma shortly afterward. Later that evening, as I was holding his hand and having my last chat with him, I told him that it was ok for him to go ... and that heaven was waiting for him. I promised that I would look after Mother and my sister Gayle, and that I would keep looking for Tommy.<br />
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After his death, I was going through some of my father's old legal papers, and discovered the maiden name of his first wife and who her parents were. I added them to my family history research project on Ancestry.com. In late July, 2018, I received a notification from Ancestry that there were information matches regarding Tommy's maternal grandfather. This lead me to other family trees that the grandfather was on, and upon further investigation I found not only my father, but Tommy listed on two related trees as well!<br />
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I now knew that he had taken his step-father's last name. I knew he married and had children. One of the related Ancestry trees belongs to his nephew. I also found Facebook pages belonging to both Tom and his nephew. His friends call him Tom. The nephew was friends with a family reunion page. I sent messages to both the nephew and the family reunion page. The reunion page wanted to know who I was and how I was related to their Tom!<br />
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Tom's cousin, the reunion organizer, sent a message to Tom's younger brother, who wrote me back and said he would pass along my contact information. Two days later, I received an email from my brother, Tom. Yes, I finally found him ... he's alive, and has had a good life with a wife of 47 years, two sons, and three grandchildren! I also heard from the nephew, who told me that I had definitely found my brother and that he too would contact him for me.<br />
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We did it, Pappy ... we finally found Tommy! But, just like the car-chasing dog who finally caught one I have to ask myself, "now what do I do with it?" I couldn't help but have the fear that he did not want to be found ... and vowed that if that were the case, I at least could know he was alive and had what appeared to be a good life.<br />
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Tom and I have since exchanged email and pictures. We still don't know what our relationship will become, but the subject line of his last email to me read "Brother to Brother" so I hope we can build from that!<br />
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Tom makes the second long-lost family member that the Internet has helped me locate over the past five years, the first being my cousin Rob on my mother's side. Both Rob and Tom were raised by their respective step-fathers, and grew up to have good lives.<br />
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Pappy never did understand my fascination with computers, but I can see him grinning from ear to ear right about now!<br />
<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-65504777788791954792018-04-16T18:28:00.001-07:002018-04-16T18:45:17.940-07:00Cutting The Cord (Part 4) - One Month Later ... Lower Costs and ZERO Regrets!<h3>
Here is Part 4 of our adventures as we Cut The Cord!</h3>
We are of the belief that our TV programming costs could not be maintained into retirement. Almost $125 each month is way too much to pay if we intend to do other things besides watching television in our old age! It is time for a change ... how close to FREE can we get?<br />
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After selecting our hardware (Roku) and our paid streaming services (CBS All Access, Hulu, and Philo) we tested everything and around the middle of March, 2018, cancelled our DirecTV service. I disconnected the satellite boxes and packed them away.<br />
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One month after the cut ... This is nice!</h3>
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The most serious problem we encountered after the cut involved the lovely Miss Mindy and our two remote control devices. With cable or satellite, the remote that ran the "box" also handled the television set. One remote, easily mastered, brainless, and painless. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwqdRlihyWrzoabk186CFHQoStQyZM7diCJsyHnJ4tvB8pq-NVQZB6LaQ-DYkgdO40sizPDjosARkmZnpwlQwWg5U08wz7fWgbIYYyINQAcHj3soMIKhp_RtIpTUZgeIPlPDXx4kUtdE/s1600/20180315_182951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwqdRlihyWrzoabk186CFHQoStQyZM7diCJsyHnJ4tvB8pq-NVQZB6LaQ-DYkgdO40sizPDjosARkmZnpwlQwWg5U08wz7fWgbIYYyINQAcHj3soMIKhp_RtIpTUZgeIPlPDXx4kUtdE/s320/20180315_182951.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Not so with Roku ... two remotes were needed, one for the TV and one for the Roku. By the second hour of the first day after shutting off DirecTV, she was frustrated with trying to keep track of which remote she needed to perform a certain function. I needed to jump in and save the experiment before she demanded the satellite back! A quick trip to WalMart the next day took care of that pesky remote challenge!</div>
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For less than $10, the problem was solved with the universal remote pictured on the left. This control worked right out of the package for the Roku, and only took one code entry to have the Visio TV setup correctly! This control now resides by Mindy's chair, while the original Roku and Visio remotes are at my fingertips. Easy fix!</div>
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It did take us both a few days to master our new viewing regimen. We had to remember which service we use to watch a particular program. We also had to remember what new programs were available to us on what nights ... a bit confusing to say the least!</div>
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We Had Become Slaves to the List!</h3>
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One thing that I quickly realized was how much we had become dependent on the DirecTV "List" feature. Pushing a button on the remote brought up a list of all programs that had been recorded, stored on the satellite box, and were available to view. Selecting a program from the list launched it for our enjoyment. It became the method by which we chose our programs ... if it was on the list, it had to be watched! If we fell too many episodes behind (like General Hospital after a two-week vacation in Florida) it had to be binge-watched ... after all, we can't get too far behind!!! OMG - we're behind!!! Of course, my dear bride (with a few OCD tendencies) could not handle being too far behind on viewing recorded TV shows! </div>
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Stress is not something that should be happening when you are watching television with your wife!</div>
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While we were enjoying the lack of list-induced stress, we soon realized that we no longer had much guidance (or even knowledge) about what to watch! It became quickly apparent that we had to replace "the list" if we were ever to know how to watch TV ever again! Thank goodness for an old standby: <i>TV Guide.</i></div>
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I remember <i>TV Guide</i> from back in the '60s ... a small booklet sold in the supermarket checkout line that had all of our locally available TV listings. Over the years, and with the move to cable and satellite packages, the magazine that we grew up with changed. It is now a bi-weekly publication, focused more on articles about television rather than detailed listings of every show on every channel. The modern-day on-line edition (<a href="http://www.tvguide.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.tvguide.com</a>) is actually owned by CBS.</div>
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I signed up for a free account, specified my favorite shows, and now receive almost daily emails from <i>TV Guide</i> informing me of new episodes and current events pertaining to those favorite shows. I have my email set up to automatically forward those emails to Mindy ... now we know what to watch, and when to watch it!<br />
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<h3>
Immediate $avings!</h3>
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Shortly after the first of the month, I went online to my bank website to make sure that DirecTV had, in fact, cancelled my automatic payment. They did! Over the next two weeks, our three paid services made their scheduled debits for a total of $37.98. I also received a $24.33 refund from DirecTV by way of a pre-paid MasterCard for the partial month cancelled. If I add in the one-time hardware costs of two Roku boxes (living room and bedroom) and a remote control (just under $70 total) I'm still almost $20 ahead in the first month! From hereafter my savings will be about $86 each and every month!</div>
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<h3>
Could We Get Closer to Free?</h3>
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Yes ... we could have made it all the way to "Free TV" even without the availability of over-the-air broadcast channels ... but it would have come at a cost to our enjoyment level. If we were totally broke, living on a fixed income, or otherwise unable to pay the $37.98 then yes, we would live with "Free". However, our desire to be only a day or two behind in viewing and be able to skip commercials is well worth the price we are now paying.</div>
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If we had access to free over-the-air programming, an OTA DVR such as Tablo (about $250 and up) would allow us to record shows from our antenna for later playback over our local WiFi network. "Cable" channels would still have to come from a streaming service such as Philo.<br />
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So What Are We Missing?</h3>
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Nothing, really ... except Red Sox Baseball (and other sports programming.) For some, this would be a deal-breaker. NESN (which carries all Red Sox and Bruins games, except nationally-televised games) is available (along with other sports-themed networks like ESPN or FS1) with a subscription to either fuboTV or You Tube TV, for about $40 per month. Play Station Vue also carries NESN for about $45 per month. The nice thing about streaming services is the no-contract provision, so if the Sox are in a tight pennant race in August, I just might sign up for a month or two and cancel afterward!</div>
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In the meantime, I purchased a season-long subscription ($19.95) to Gameday Audio, MLB's streaming audio service. I can listen to the radio broadcast of every MLB game (without blackout restrictions) and select from either team's broadcast along with the Spanish language broadcasts if desired. Looking back to the days of my youth, many a ballgame was spent with my Grandfather listening to the Red Sox on radio ... and we enjoyed each and every game that we listened to together!</div>
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MLB-TV also has a free app on Roku, that features one "free" game every day along with video highlights from every other game - all available without subscription. A "condensed" game is also replayed about 90 minutes after the game is over via the MLB team websites. So, I can listen to games on Gameday, and see every exciting play afterward on my computer.</div>
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<h3>
What Pleasures Have We Discovered?</h3>
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Without the pressures of "The List" we are enjoying a more relaxed approach to our TV viewing. On some of the free Roku content (Baby Boomer TV and the Roku Channel) we are watching some of the old shows of our youth. CBS All Access has some shows from the more recent past that Mindy is enjoying, since she missed the first several seasons of some of them. Now that I have DIY, Texas Flip and Move and Barnwood Builders get regular views from me as well. More importantly, we're not tied to a list, but rather are enjoying the browse through the programming forest without haste or anxiety. TV seems more fun ... and I still don't have to fuss with an antenna!</div>
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Our content comes via the Internet; therefore, wherever we have access to the "web" we have access to our programming. Our Android phones, Mindy's Kindle, and my iPad have now become truly portable TV sets. When we visit my mother in Florida, we plan on bringing a Roku with us so we can keep up with our favorite shows. A two-hour airport layover may become more enjoyable without the need for overpriced adult beverages at the terminal lounge!<br />
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Cutting the cord also made me take a look at other entertainment costs that could be saved. For years I have had a subscription to XM radio in my car. This dates back to when I was traveling quite a bit and playing music several nights a week. My XM listening is down to just a couple of talk shows and the occasional "classic old-time radio" show or two. A 99-cent app for my smart phone lets me download free public-domain radio shows from the '30s, '40s, and '50s, while free apps let me download favorite talk show content on-demand. As of today I have cancelled my $220 per year XM radio habit!<br />
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Now if I can only find a suitable replacement for the daily newspaper ...<br />
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<h3>
Some Amazing Math ...</h3>
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$86 per month saved on television, and $19 saved on XM radio, for a total of $105 saved every month. If I invest that savings each month in good quality growth-stock mutual funds with 12% annual track record, I will have $45,370 in my investment account after 15 years. Ok, maybe a bit too risky for some of you, but that same calculation at 8% (the average rate of return for the stock market) still produces a balance of $38,940 after 15 years!</div>
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I guess I do have one regret after all ... we should have done this years ago!</div>
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BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-87322441373976343512018-04-07T09:45:00.001-07:002018-04-07T09:46:05.932-07:00Cutting The Cord (Part 3) - An Unbelievably Bad Customer Service Experience!<h3>
Here is Part 3 of our adventures as we Cut The Cord!</h3>
We are of the belief that present costs of TV programming cannot be maintained into retirement. Almost $125 each month is way too much to pay if we intend to do other things besides watching television in our old age! It is time for a change ... how close to FREE can we get?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiA5cEvGvYg3YxkXZjmdUj0zZ_-Vu5TfoHwChs9fpzpC3hY8vVElaFx-C2OseVITs6TBwjHIS4P5K2ZoDezoMzobWWxQ78tOtiPYY9X4vvZITHBZcAvh9S2DZxfHpbDTPDr_15ITen_I/s1600/5e951c64_cord-cutting-cutting-the-cord2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiA5cEvGvYg3YxkXZjmdUj0zZ_-Vu5TfoHwChs9fpzpC3hY8vVElaFx-C2OseVITs6TBwjHIS4P5K2ZoDezoMzobWWxQ78tOtiPYY9X4vvZITHBZcAvh9S2DZxfHpbDTPDr_15ITen_I/s200/5e951c64_cord-cutting-cutting-the-cord2.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Plan your work ... and work your plan!</h3>
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Taking the list of programs and channels, we looked at various service packages to see what we could find that would suit our watching needs at the lowest possible cost. We settled on a combination of three paid services, along with several additional free streams. All of the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) offer some form of free on-demand streaming. The drawback, however, is that the shows are not available on the network stream until several days after the air date. If you are one who absolutely must know who gets voted off the island before you go to bed, free streams are not for you! But, if you don't mind waiting up to a week to view the latest episodes of your favorite shows, free is not a bad price! Of course, if you live in an area with good over-the-air broadcast signals you can always watch live broadcast TV . . . just like we all did back in 1965!<br />
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One common feature of streaming services is a free trial period. When you sign up, you will need to provide a debit or credit card number for billing. Most services offer a seven-day free trial (Hulu offers the first month free) and do not bill your card until after the trial is up. These are all no-contract services; as long as you cancel prior to the next billing date there is no additional payment required.<br />
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If you (like us) cannot receive broadcast TV signals, some form of live stream will be needed if you wish to stay up-to-the-minute with the latest Bachelor or Bachelorette. Live stream packages generally cost around $40 per month, and offer about 50 channels. If you want to record shows to watch later, some of the packages offer DVR service as well. Since we were rarely watching live TV, we did not feel we would be missing anything if we no longer had it.<br />
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Here are the packages we chose:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbOKiIv0WvtdRx3btKu-Fu08Um0tt8H_GKrShvcxcVvH4GYtZn9sZxt9XCBmL8ZdYFCTg0ONEY9-ejBjFQZFmXmutIOznPf8F6QcIsBfdpdTOP7ZFXqFahVn7myu4Uzscx0hZ4pTmoQE/s1600/hulu.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="113" data-original-width="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbOKiIv0WvtdRx3btKu-Fu08Um0tt8H_GKrShvcxcVvH4GYtZn9sZxt9XCBmL8ZdYFCTg0ONEY9-ejBjFQZFmXmutIOznPf8F6QcIsBfdpdTOP7ZFXqFahVn7myu4Uzscx0hZ4pTmoQE/s1600/hulu.png" /></a>1. Hulu</h4>
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Hulu is one of the early pioneers of television streaming, and offers a well-rounded package of programming from most of the major networks, both broadcast and cable/satellite. New episodes of ABC, NBC, and Fox shows are available 24-48 hours after broadcast. A basic subscription costs $7.99 per month, with an optional commercial-free version for $11.99. The service is easy to use and navigate, and allows you to build a list of regularly-watched shows for easy selection. It keeps track of which episodes you have already viewed, and will even remember where you were if you stop watching in the middle of a program. One major drawback, however, is the lack of CBS programming. Along with that, many of our regularly watched cable network shows (like Alaska, The Last Frontier) are as many as two SEASONS behind!</div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQp_oZJxHuchebnYvqBxEsm0ZszoNzaJMZot70d3-e8q3Sww4kwvvGBr9_NbHMQM5kLkB0f-9nSi2I32JUrPJR6iXs8AuDo-Xg7xxePLj44ufcFJLIT7zuHb7AIs1NR4XGfI2WS_hcDk/s1600/CBS+AA.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="110" data-original-width="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQp_oZJxHuchebnYvqBxEsm0ZszoNzaJMZot70d3-e8q3Sww4kwvvGBr9_NbHMQM5kLkB0f-9nSi2I32JUrPJR6iXs8AuDo-Xg7xxePLj44ufcFJLIT7zuHb7AIs1NR4XGfI2WS_hcDk/s1600/CBS+AA.png" /></a>2. CBS All Access</h4>
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Instead of selling content to services like Hulu, CBS has taken the bold step of selling content directly to the viewer. I like that idea! For $5.99 a month, CBS All Access gives you next-day access to all new shows, along with on-demand access to a vast library of CBS content. If that wasn't enough, they also give live access to the "local" CBS affiliate, which in our case is WGME/Portland, ME. So, in case of major news or weather events we are still able to watch at least one real, honest-to-goodness live television channel! Like Hulu, CBS also offers a commercial-free option for $9.99.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6JbIn0yMcOFav2L12R4tZBhSxLVMq3zWOEWeEzdVAZSwGTn8Z1Cj3CFzaMI31hZGP88Dx0Y3Ja8Jwzjbe-Ok4nwpCjbsZf3uhZdJ-HC0mQkt_JFyhN-z8kjak_ee64JJwHY8RVygjvo/s1600/Philo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="79" data-original-width="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6JbIn0yMcOFav2L12R4tZBhSxLVMq3zWOEWeEzdVAZSwGTn8Z1Cj3CFzaMI31hZGP88Dx0Y3Ja8Jwzjbe-Ok4nwpCjbsZf3uhZdJ-HC0mQkt_JFyhN-z8kjak_ee64JJwHY8RVygjvo/s1600/Philo.png" /></a>3. Philo</h4>
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Philo is an interesting player in the streaming-content arena. They offer live-streaming along with the ability to save programs (almost like a DVR, only different!) for later viewing. Their service, at $16 per month, is substantially lower than other live-stream services. The reason for the low cost is because Philo does not carry the four broadcast networks or sports programming. (Those are the channels that cost the most!) We rely on it to provide content from A&E, Food Network, Discovery Channel, History, HGTV, DIY, and several others.</div>
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With those three services we replaced all of our regularly-watched content, with the exception of Red Sox Baseball on NESN, for a cost of only $37.98 per month, down from our monthly satellite cost of about $125/mo for a savings just shy of 60%! After a few days of watching both streaming and satellite (and proving to Mindy that she wasn't going to miss any of her favorite shows) we were ready to make the cut!</div>
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<h3>
The. Worst. Customer. Service. Experience. Ever.</h3>
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I am a fan of <i>The Dave Ramsey Show</i>, a nationally-syndicated radio talk show that focuses on eliminating debt and building wealth for retirement. Dave tells his callers that they are on the right track when they follow his advice and their broke friends think they're crazy! Cutting the cord can bring about a similar reaction from friends and family ... but I never expected the treatment I received when I called my satellite provider to give them the news!</div>
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When I started writing this story at the beginning of our journey, I purposely did not identify my now former provider by name. I was not mad at them in any way, but was only looking to see if I could save money on programming costs. I did not identify them out of respect for the service they provided to me for the past five years, along with my intent that if I ever returned to satellite content they would be at the top of my list. Sad that a simple phone call to DirecTV would change that!</div>
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I called DirecTV late one afternoon in the middle of March. I navigated their phone menu, and was quickly connected to a Customer Service representative. I don't actually recall his name, but let's call him "Bubba." Bubba was from the south, and spoke in a very polite manner. He asked for my account number and how he could help. I told him that I wanted to discontinue my service. Bubba, the ever friendly and helpful salesman, started addressing me by my legal first name. (Those who truly know me know that I prefer not to be called by that first name that appears on my birth certificate, driver's license, passport, and other legal documents.)</div>
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"So, Lloyd, just so I get this right, you want to discontinue your DirectTV service ... is that correct?"</div>
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"Yes, and please call me Brad. All my friends call me Brad," I said.</div>
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"Ok, Lloyd, can you tell me why you want to discontinue today?" he said, obviously not listening well. "If I may, I'd like to see what DirecTV can do to keep you as a customer."</div>
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"You can start by calling me Brad, I replied. "It is simply a matter of cost. I am at a point where I need to spend less money each month, and I am replacing the satellite content with streaming video."</div>
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"Well, Lloyd, if we can save you money on your monthly bill would you be interested in staying with us? I'm sure I can do something for you."</div>
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"No, I'm really not interested. I just want to disconnect my service."</div>
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Bubba continued his sales pitch, insisting that if I could just give him a minute or two he wanted to check to see what they could do to keep me. Bubba started asking about the weather in New Hampshire, and told me he was in Georgia. After a minute of polite chit-chat, he said "Lloyd, I think we can save you a lot of money. How does $69.95 a month sound? Can I sign you up for that? Of course, Lloyd, that would be with a two-year service agreement so we can guarantee that low price for the next two years."</div>
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"Um, no ... please just cancel my service."</div>
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He kept on pushing and trying to close the sale. In frustration, I made the mistake of telling him that I would be paying around $37 a month for streaming services. He then came back with the amazing low price of only $27 per month for satellite! His tone of voice and attitude changed as I persisted in telling him "NO". Gone was the polite attitude. He finally stopped calling me Lloyd. He started yelling at me and demanded to know why I wouldn't keep DirecTV for only $27 a month. I had finally reached my limit, and asked to speak with his supervisor. He kept right on pushing until I finally screamed, "SUPERVISOR! NOW!"</div>
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"Mr. Bradford, you want to speak with my supervisor? Is that correct?" he asked. "I don't think that is neccessary."</div>
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"SUPERVISOR!" I exclaimed. "RIGHT NOW!"</div>
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The phone went silent for a few seconds. I thought Bubba may have hung up on me. Finally I heard a much quieter voice asking "If I can be allowed to disconnect your service, will you allow me to do that without involving my supervisor? Please?"</div>
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It really shouldn't be that hard!</div>
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Join us next time for Part 4 as we discover some pleasant side-effects from cord cutting ... along with the start of baseball season and no Red Sox on TV!</div>
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BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-40646816433721463342018-03-17T15:16:00.001-07:002018-03-17T15:16:34.532-07:00Cutting The Cord (Part 2) - Simply Complicated!<h3>
Here is Part 2 of our adventures as we Cut The Cord!</h3>
We are of the belief that present costs of TV programming cannot be maintained into retirement. Almost $125 each month is way too much to pay if we intend to do other things besides watching television in our old age! It is time for a change ... how close to FREE can we get?<br /><br />
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Our Watching Habits Changed Over Time</h3>
Both my satellite provider and the cable company have been bombarding us with junk mail recently, offering Internet-based streaming services with no contracts and prices as low as $21.95 a month for a limited channel offering of live programming from all the major networks and several popular cable channels. Could a streaming service, coupled with a "Smart" TV or other device, be the answer?<br />
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Checking into it a little further, I found a major drawback to these offerings: no DVR service is presently available with these packages, and DVR is a must-have for our television lifestyle! (I have learned that my satellite provider has a DVR in beta testing, but I don't know when or if it will be available and how much of an extra premium it will be.)<br />
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Lack of DVR ability made me stop and realize how much our television watching habits have changed over the years. Mindy's job at the hospital requires her to work various shifts and schedules; my self-employment and music gigs can also compound our "together time" in front of the "boob tube." We never watch live TV anymore ... everything is "taped" using the DVR function of the cable or satellite box! ("Taped" - isn't it funny how outdated legacy words continue to be used in language!) Depending on our schedules, we may spend around two and a half hours each day watching television programming, all of it pre-recorded. We could watch as many as five shows in one evening. And lets not forget our regular favorite, <i>General Hospital</i>!<br />
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Each hour of modern television contains about 15 minutes of advertising content. By fast-forwarding through the commercials we are able to watch a one-hour show in 45 minutes, or a half-hour show in about 22 minutes. Mindy hates commercials (I sometimes watch them when I am watching TV by myself) and prefers not to watch live TV because of them. Therefore, all we tend to watch is recorded content, except in the case of a sporting event or breaking news. We usually don't watch today's shows until at least tomorrow or the next day, and always have something of interest recorded so we never experience "there's nothing on right now" syndrome.<br />
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Occasionally, though, we do want to watch today's episode of certain shows. When we do, we just delay watching it for at least 10 minutes for a half-hour show or 15 minutes for an hour-long program. We then start watching the recording and are still able to zip through the commercials! We even have a term for that ability ... we call it "gas!" Sometimes, if we start watching too soon we will catch up with the live feed and "damn it, we're out of gas" is the usual expression! We then pause the program, take a bathroom break, grab a piece of fruit or other snack, and return to the show with enough "gas" to get us through the commercial stop set, and hopefully the next one as well!<br />
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We schedule our recordings so that favorite series record automatically. When we see an ad for a special show or event, we manually set that to record and never have to worry about missing a show we want to watch.<br />
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<h3>
Analyze Your Watching Habits To Identify Your Needs</h3>
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Since we watch almost every program as a digital recording, live TV is not at the top of our requirements list. Live shows need to be watched on the network's schedule, not your own. Get scheduled to work on Thursday evening and you're going to miss <i>Grey's Anatomy</i>. And what about when two different shows air at the same time? We need to be able to record shows for playback later. The only time we actually watch live TV is during a major news event, and of course during baseball season when the Red Sox game, if not watched live, is checked every half hour or so for the score!</div>
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Most of our regularly-watched shows are on a small handful of networks. We record shows from CBS, ABC, FOX, HGTV, History, CMT, and Discovery. Mindy likes horror movies from SyFy and "chick flicks" from Lifetime. I also like programming from DIY but have never had it available on our cable or satellite packages except for "free preview" promotions.</div>
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With the exception of my beloved Red Sox, I watch very little in the way of sports programming.</div>
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We started our process by making a list of every show that we regularly record, and the network or cable channel that it airs on. This list proved to be very useful in selecting which streaming services we needed.<br />
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If you are one that can't live without sports programming, streaming packages that include national and/or regional sports networks will be required, and will add to the monthly cost of programming.</div>
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Take A Test Drive Before You Cut</h3>
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Before cutting the cord, you should familiarize yourself with the streaming process and how it changes your personal interface with the television set. In my case, my 18-month-old Visio TV has built-in WiFi, and came with some streaming service apps installed. Since Hulu was a service I was familiar with (I had a free account years ago) I gave that a try. I logged in using my old account credentials, and was surprised that they still worked! I was given the opportunity to start a free 30-day trial, with the ability to cancel service anytime before the month was up. So it began!</div>
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I was immediately impressed with how easy it was to navigate the Hulu app. Not as easy as turning a rotary dial on a 1965 set, nor as easy as selecting the guide button on the satellite remote and choosing a program, but fairly easy none the less. If you are accustomed to the look and feel of smartphone or tablet apps you will feel right at home.</div>
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My biggest amazement (after the overall program selection) was the quality of the picture and sound. It was every bit as good as any digital HD obtained from either my former cable or present satellite provider!</div>
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One key to high-quality streaming is your Internet connection. HD video requires at minimum a 3Mbps download stream, which some older phone company DSL lines cannot provide. My cable-based Internet service, at 20Mbps, proved to be more than adequate for this task!</div>
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Invest In A Streaming Device</h3>
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Although my TV has built-in Internet capability and apps, they are limited and are not easily added to or upgraded. Streaming devices, on the other hand, provide the interface between the Internet and the TV, and are regularly updated by the device manufacturer. New apps are easily added from within the device's built-in interface.</div>
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Streaming devices are available from Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick, and others. I chose Roku, which is available (March 2018) from WalMart starting at $29.00 and is a strong basic device. Apple TV, at $149, also comes with the inherent connectivity to all Apple i-devices.</div>
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All streaming devices use HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connections to your HD television set. If you have an older set that does not support HDMI, the Roku Express+ supports composite video, but none of them support direct "antenna" connections. If your TV is that old, you should consider upgrading before cutting the cord!</div>
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I chose a Roku Express, the lowest-price option, available at Wal-Mart, for $29. I am favorably impressed! </div>
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Stay tuned for the next installment, as we actually cut the cord and have a really bad Customer Service experience!</div>
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BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-89701727790456734102018-03-12T09:23:00.002-07:002018-03-12T09:23:47.592-07:00Cutting The Cord (Part 1) - Free TV and Rising Cable Costs With retirement on the horizon, we want to explore ways of reducing our living expenses so we can spend winters in a warm place and not be stuck in the frozen northeast for all nine months of winter! This is part one of a multi-part blog documenting our journey back to television service that won't break the bank or wreck the budget! Join Mindy and me as we "Cut The Cord!"<br />
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Free TV - How It Used To Be</h3>
Television used to be free, and some claim its value was exactly equal to its price! Growing up in the 1960s, my television experience consisted of a black-and-white picture, low fidelity monaural sound, and three channels to chose from. The remote was my sister, on those occasions when I could convince her to get up off the couch, walk across the living room, and change the channel or adjust the volume for me! Three broadcast networks, CBS, NBC, and ABC provided 100% of the content. (A fourth network, DuMont, was the first television network launched in 1946, but failed in the mid '50s and finally went off the air in 1956.) Independent stations that had no network affiliation, and non-commercial educational channels (which would become PBS) were only found in urban markets; they generally did not broadcast with as much power as the "network" stations did.<br />
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The best part about those three-network days, however, was the cost. Television was totally FREE back then, that is, once you purchased a television set, put up an antenna, and committed to improving and maintaining it! My father was always trying to find ways to make our picture clearer with less "snow" and reduced static in the sound. Buying newer and bigger antennas, or adding another six feet to the pole to raise it higher were constant events in the Bradford household! The signal was delivered from the antenna to the TV by way of special un-shielded 300-ohm wire. Antenna wire was flat with two conductors spaced about a half-inch apart, and was responsible for over half of the signal loss and interference failures experienced back then!<br />
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Obtaining (and maintaining) high-quality reception was almost a full-time hobby for my father and me back then! It seems we were always adding or fixing something on the antenna and wires, all for the sake of receiving the essential three television channels that we watched on our old B&W set.<br />
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About 1966, my father added another piece to our maintenance challenge, a rotor system which could turn the antenna and orient it to obtain the strongest signal from the broadcast tower. A control box sitting on top of the TV was used to point the antenna to the desired compass direction. At that time we were living in Norwich, CT and received our TV signals from three different cities. The ABC station, channel 8, was from New Haven. The CBS station, channel 3, was from Hartford. Our NBC programs came from Providence, RI, on channel 10. Changing channels on the TV tuner also required turning a dial on the rotor control box which sent power to a motor mounted on the antenna mast which in turn pointed the antenna to the correct city. It could take as much as a full minute to rotate the antenna from one direction to another, with the control box making a loud "hum-click" sound every two seconds or so while the antenna was rotating!<br />
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Pay TV - Changes On The Horizon</h3>
There was this thing coming along back then that people called "Pay TV," and according to an article in the newspaper, it was soon going to be available in Norwich! CATV (Community Antenna TV) was envisioned as a way for people who lived outside of urban areas to share common antennas (located high on nearby mountains or hills) and therefore enjoy better reception. Shielded cable was used to deliver the amplified signals to subscriber's homes, and the cost would be shared among the subscribers. My father said Pay TV was wrong and that he would never pay for something that we could obtain for free!<br />
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Once we moved to northern New Hampshire in 1970, however, things changed! With only two stations available over the air (one a very weak CBS signal from Burlington, VT, and the other the Mount Washington based ABC affiliate, WMTW) my mother put her foot down and decided we were going to have cable TV! The days of putting up antennas and maintaining them were over!<br />
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We were then enjoying ten channels (three of them from Canada with one in French) and the clearest, most interference-free picture we ever saw! Changing channels was so easy ... all we had to do was get up and turn the tuner dial! No more noisy rotor box! If I remember correctly, the monthly charge from <i>Paper City TV Cable</i> at that time was well under five dollars. Quite a deal by today's standards!<br />
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For the first few years of my married life I was living in the Boston, MA television market with several over-the-air channels available. After my Army service I returned to Lancaster, still with only two broadcast channels available. A year or so later Kim (my wife at that time) insisted that we get cable so she and our two young sons would have more entertainment during the day. We paid about $7 a month for 12 channels. TV was entirely analog in those days, and 12 channels was the limit for the old VHF (2-13) broadcast band. Soon the local cable company was purchased by Warner Bros. and started offering more channels by using a set-top tuner box. The TV was tuned to channel 3, and a dial on the box was used to select the desired cable channel. "Basic" cable was still available, but for just a few dollars more the new enhanced cable became the up and coming thing. Special cable-only channels like CNN and MTV, along with "Superstations" and more made basic cable seem so ordinary! Extra cost movie channels were also available that brought recent theater presentations into our living rooms and would add several dollars to the monthly fee.<br />
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Sky High and Climbing</h3>
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As years progressed, cable TV channel offerings continued to grow, along with the monthly charge! According to a report issued by the FCC in October, 2016, a study conducted between 1995 and 2015 shows that the average prices charged for various cable packages has risen at over twice the rate of inflation! In 1999 I was paying $33.01 a month for cable. In 2010, when I switched from analog cable to digital service (with phone and Internet) it was up to $58.07 After the programming portion of the combined package rose to over $100 in 2013 I switched to a satellite provider at $61.99 per month. Now, five years later in 2018 that same TV package is costing us $123.82 each month.<br />
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Television has become our fourth-largest monthly household operating expense, after groceries, heating fuel, and electricity. Just think ... it used to be less than $10 a month!<br />
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Living where we do in northern New Hampshire, we no longer have over-the-air options. WMTW (Portland, ME) stopped broadcasting from the top of Mount Washington in 2002 in preparation for digital broadcasting. WCAX's digital signal is not watchable this far away from Burlington, VT. An analog repeater station 20 miles away in Littleton, NH provides NH PBS programming for that community, but terrain issues make reception impossible here. Broadcast TV is simply not an option in Lancaster!<br />
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We'll be back (after station identification) with Part 2 of our adventure as we Cut The Cord!</h4>
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<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-70929885334716388982015-12-12T14:55:00.000-08:002015-12-12T14:56:26.374-08:00Windows 10 - Did Microsoft actually get this one right?I received a phone call from one of my clients back in August. It seems she upgraded her computer to Windows 10 and could no longer find her way around the system, couldn't find her desktop shortcuts, and could not get her email to work. While I had been involved with a beta test of W10 with one of my other clients, I had not yet sat down to use Microsoft's latest Windows version, let alone provide client support! I scheduled an on-site visit to help her straighten things out.<br />
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All-in-all I was favorably impressed. Microsoft's upgrade practically installed itself on this 70-something grandmother's PC with hardly more than a click or two required on her end. Her biggest problem came in not knowing how to navigate the new interface without a few tips from her helpful tech support guy, me!<br />
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One week ago, I finally got around to installing Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade on one of my Windows 7 Professional computers so I can give click-by-click client support when the need arises. Personally, I have never felt the need to upgrade immediately to the "latest and greatest" if the "tried and true" was still doing the job properly. Experience has taught me that waiting for the price to come down on the latest PC configuration or waiting for "bug fixes" or service packs on software was well worth it in both cost and aggravation savings!<br />
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<b>Seven days into the experience and I must admit that I like the look and feel of W10.</b> Yes, there are a few things that I don't like, but so far none of them are deal breakers. The interface is smooth and intuitive. The subdued color schemes calm my ADD-riddled brain. The inherently slow-as-death (by today's standards) PC that I am using (Pentium Core2 1.8GHz processor, 4GB RAM) seems to respond a tad faster than it did under Windows 7. Best of all, the programs that were installed prior to the update are still there and working flawlessly under W10.<br />
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The actual upgrade process was relatively easy. Clicking the "Get Windows 10" icon in the system tray area of the task bar starts the process. This icon will appear automatically on Windows 7 or 8 computers that are up-to-date with Microsoft Updates and whose hardware is compatible with Windows 10. (This only applies to computers that are not part of a "domain" network. If your PC belongs to a domain it must be updated manually.) You are given the choice of updating now or just downloading the update and installing it later. Make this choice carefully - once the update starts it cannot be stopped and will take one hour or more depending upon your Internet connection speed.<br />
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In my case, the download and installation took about one and a half hours. The system restarted at various points in the upgrade without any intervention on my part. (There is nothing that wastes more time than an upgrade that requires a manual reboot before continuing to the next step!) Once completed, I had a working Windows 10 computer, but I was not pleased! My desktop and documents were nowhere to be found! This PC was configured for several different users, but is usually logged-in as a user named "server," since it hosts some shared folders and backup services for my network. While I could find the upgraded user folders for every other user, the "server" files were missing! I started going through the process of rebuilding the desktop and reinstalling software, mildly cursing Microsoft for losing my stuff, when I needed to restart the computer to complete an install. After the reboot, the login screen listed the four users that were originally on the machine prior to the upgrade . . . so I clicked on "server" . . . and my previous Windows 7 desktop appeared. My documents were back, and everything was right with the world! What happened?<br />
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I recalled that the first time W10 came up at the end of the upgrade, there was no choice of user given. I assumed that it came up as the same user it was using at the start of the upgrade in Windows 7.<br />
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Don't assume anything! Restart one more time after the upgrade finishes if you have things missing!<br />
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I spent the rest of my spare time last weekend learning more about the features of Windows 10 and getting comfortable with the new look and feel. For those who liked Windows 8 or 8.1 you will still find "apps" and "tiles" that work the same as they did in 8. For those who could not function without a "Start" button (like me) you will find the W10 icon at the far left of the task bar works very much like the Start button, with a handy alternate menu for administrative tasks if you right-click it.<br />
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Of course, there are some big changes with Microsoft's new browser, Edge, embedded in W10 like spots on a dalmatian. (Don't worry, you can still use IE, Firefox, Chrome, or "whatever" as your default browser!) My jury is still out on Edge . . . perhaps that will be a subject for a future blog!<br />
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In the meantime . . . if you feel the need to upgrade you probably can . . . as long as you are not on a domain network or are using old software that may not work under W10. (Check with your software vendors first to ensure compatibility!) Feel free to email me if you have questions or need help feel free to shoot me an email: brad(at)bbays.com.<br />
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Peace!<br />
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<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-9490460669622022272014-07-27T17:28:00.002-07:002014-07-27T17:28:23.397-07:00Nana's Cast Iron Dutch OvenI'm getting a little bit away from my usual Information Technology blog, but this is about technology of a different sort. Technology that brought us from the days of Adam and Eve all the way to today. I'm talking about a special technology called "cooking" . . .<br />
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Those who cook (and generally love to eat what is cooked) are a special breed. While some cook (and eat) to live, others live to cook (and eat); I certainly fall into the latter category! I love nothing more than to share cooking techniques and recipes with other like-minded souls. Most "foodies" are always looking for the next "new recipe" or latest cooking technique. I, on the other hand, have been searching to find a flavor from my youth . . . a taste of a bygone era. I speak of my Grandmother Robinson's chuck roast and her incredibly rich, dark gravy - so tasty when served on the meat, potatoes, and of course, her homemade bread!<br />
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One thing that I learned years ago is how important a piece of cookware can be to the outcome of a recipe. In the case of Nana's roast, her cookware of choice was an old cast iron Dutch Oven. I don't know when she acquired it, but I can only guess that it has been around long enough to feed my mother and her five siblings as they grew up on Cascade Hill in Gorham, New Hampshire between the two World Wars. My mother said Nana used her Dutch Oven on top of the stove. From my youth, I remember an old, black, pot but I never really paid much attention to the details at that young age . . . besides, Nana didn't allow too many people into her kitchen when she was cooking, and I never dared to ask questions! As close as I ever got was at our family's lake cottage, when I would sit on the stairs overlooking the kitchen, watch her cook, and smell the goodness.<br />
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Mother told me that she believed the old Dutch Oven was still at the lake cottage where it had been since her passing in 1973. I asked my Uncle Barney, the present owner of "Camp" and youngest of my mother's siblings, if he knew where the old Dutch Oven was. He told me he wasn't sure, but I was welcome to take a look around the camp (both downstairs and up) and see what I could find. Sure enough, in the cupboard next to where she kept her flour tin and bread board I found it - her Dutch Oven! I asked my dear Uncle if I could borrow it, to try to re-create her chuck roast and gravy. He took it one step further and told me that I could have it! Needless to say, I didn't argue the point!<br />
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At some point, the pot had been placed into a plastic grocery bag and tied tight. The exterior was in beautiful shape, but sadly, the interior bottom was showing some light rust. I did something I have never done with cast iron cookware . . . I used a steel-wool soap pad and scrubbed the heck out of the bottom! After I cleaned up the rust, there was a little mild pitting left behind. I used some 400-grit wet sandpaper to polish out the pitting. This was followed by a good wash, a coating of shortening, and an hour in a 350-degree oven to re-season the bottom of the pot. With fingers crossed, I was now ready to try it out!<br />
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I decided that the first thing I would cook in Nana's oven would be braised boneless beef short ribs. This is a dish that I cook regularly (in the oven) and would be a good control to compare the outcome using the Dutch Oven on the stovetop. Also, the fact that our local supermarket, Shaw's, had the beef on sale this week (buy one, get one free) for a net price of $3.99 per pound! That didn't hurt my decision-making process one bit!<br />
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I started by browning the beef in two tablespoons of shortening melted in the bottom of the pan. They browned beautifully with absolutely no sticking! (Yes, my re-seasoning was a success!) I flavored the beef with salt and pepper and added garlic, chopped onions, celery, carrots, rosemary, and bay leaf to the pot. <br />
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Once the beef was browned, I added one can of beef stock, turned the heat down, and put the lid on. I lifted the lid to check it after about fifteen minutes. The meat was simmering nicely, and I noticed an aroma that I haven't experienced in over forty years . . . this pot of short ribs already smelled like Nana's gravy! Two hours later, I had some white rice ready along with some fresh broccoli that I stir-fried with some olive oil and soy sauce.<br />
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I removed the meat and carrots/celery from the pot, and added some freshly-chopped mushrooms. I brought the pot back to a slow boil for a few minutes to cook the mushrooms. I put 1/4 cup King Arthur flour (Nana always used King Arthur flour!) and 1/2 cup cold water into a shaker jar, shook it up well, and added it to the stock and mushroom mixture. I added a little pepper and salt to taste. Plating was simple and basic - some rice, broccoli, meat, and of course, gravy . . . along with a glass of cold buttermilk!<br />
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Mindy mentioned that this was the best tasting gravy that I had ever made. While it didn't taste exactly like Nana's gravy, it did have a different character and richness of taste than when I make this dish in the oven using a covered enamel roasting pan. A good meal was enjoyed by all!<br />
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So, I guess the next step is to buy about $20 worth of seven-bone chuck roast and really give this thing a workout! Stay tuned!BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-51231998709720768602013-12-09T07:23:00.002-08:002013-12-09T07:45:05.616-08:00Scam - Beware of Phone Call from "Windows Support"Over the past few weeks I have received several phone calls from individuals claiming to be from Microsoft, Windows Company, or Windows Support. The Indian-accented voice addresses me by name and asks if I am the main user of my computer. I have responded in many ways . . . getting angry, replying to them in Spanish, and lately, letting them speak for a minute and then using my handy-dandy duck call to give them a splitting headache!<br />
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Why would I be so rude to someone who is only trying to help? That answer lies in the fact that these friendly folk are only trying to make their way into my pocketbook by way of my computer! These dudes don't work for Microsoft, Windows, or any other legitimate company. (Believe me, Microsoft has a hard time responding to incoming support requests, let alone having time to initiate outgoing calls!)<br />
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They start by asking how you are doing, and how well you are enjoying your computer. They then tell you that they have scanned your computer and have discovered "viruses" on your computer that need to be removed. To "prove" the existence of viruses, they talk you through viewing your computer's event log and count how many red and yellow-flagged item there are. They then tell you that these items are from viruses and are responsible for slowing down your computer. Fact is, any Windows computer in use for any length of time will log some critical errors and experience some slowdowns. They then guide you through viewing the msconfig window. One of the tabs will show all the processes installed on the computer from Microsoft and other software vendors. They ask you to see how many processes are turned off, and use this a "proof" that viruses are shutting down critical computer functions.<br />
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For their final act, they talk you into viewing the "prefetch" directory, a hidden folder that is not normally viewed. This folder contains system installation files, all with cryptic names. They tell you that these are actual virus files and cannot be removed. They ask you to count them . . . you will be well over 100 files before they stop you and tell you how badly "infected" your machine is!<br />
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Now that they have gained your confidence, they ask you to access a website and download a remote access program that will give them direct control to start removing the viruses. In doing this, you will be giving them the ability to download actual malware and completely cripple your machine. The final act is to ask for your credit card or bank account information in order to "renew" your warranty (for life!) and allow them to fix your horrible problem . . .<br />
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Today it is known as "Social Engineering" . . . but it is really just a modern-day version of the old "confidence game" . . . which is where the term "con-man" came from!<br />
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For legitimate technical support you can trust be sure to call Brad Bradford, At Your Service!BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-32402734396510005432013-01-23T14:04:00.001-08:002013-01-23T17:21:56.340-08:00Extend Your "Brand" With Social Media MarketingIt seems like <u><b>everybody</b></u> in today's world has "friends" on Facebook. Many of us follow "tweets" on Twitter. Professional folk are LinkedIn with one another. People share their vacation videos with the world on YouTube. You can find someone to buy Mom's old Pontiac through Craigslist, and most of that stuff in your attic can find a new owner using eBay.<br />
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Websites that connect people with other folk of similar interest are known collectively as "social media" sites. Sharing user-generated content over the internet is not a brand-new idea. Many of us started out with the old text-based AOL or Genie chat rooms back in the '80s. Teenagers who used MySpace in the early 2000s are now young adults who not only have an appetite for consumer goods and services, but also make their purchasing decisions based on information shared with and delivered to them through social media outlets.<br />
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According to<a href="http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/social/2012/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Nielsen's Social Media Report 2012</a>, Internet users in the United States spent a collective 121 <b>billion</b> minutes on social media sites in July of 2012. In July of 2011, that figure stood at 88 billion minutes<b>, </b>for a one-year increase in social media usage of 37 percent!<b> </b><br />
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Considering the marketing opportunity for your business, social media sites have unlimited potential to deliver your company's advertising message directly to the computer and smart phone screens of thousands of local users and potential customers. The best part of this marketing strategy is in its cost: practically free!<b> </b>Establishing your social media presence takes a little time and regular posting keeps your message moving. Unlike newspaper, television, radio, and Yellow Pages, there is no cost for using the service or web site!<br />
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Give Brad Bradford a call if you would like more information or assistance in establishing a social media presence as part of your marketing strategy. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BradBradfordAtYourService" target="_blank">"Like" us on Facebook by clicking here</a>! Or, you can contact us through our <a href="http://www.bbays.com/" target="_blank">web site, www.bbays.com</a>.<br />
<br />BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-87016703220553088662013-01-05T13:38:00.001-08:002013-01-05T15:02:37.529-08:00Here's One Reason Why I Recommend Dell ComputersRecently, one of my clients asked me to order a Dell Vostro 270 PC for them. Dell, in their usually efficient manner, built the computer to the client's specifications and shipped it two days ahead of their originally promised ship date. Sadly, the computer was <i>DOA</i> - Dead on Arrival at my office! (Never before had I experienced that fate with a Dell!) I worked with a support technician via telephone to determine that yes, in fact, the computer was a large, handsome, paperweight. But, this is just where the real story begins . . .<br />
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Within 48 hours of my service call, Dell had another machine built and passed it along to Fed-Ex for overnight delivery on December 22nd, with no extra charge for the shipping upgrade! Even with the complete application of <i>Murphy's Law</i> (a weekend, Christmas holiday, and a winter storm closing the Fed-Ex Memphis hub for two days) we were only "fashionably late" on the client delivery!<br />
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Dell goes the extra mile to support their product - just one of many reasons I specify and recommend their products for my valued clients! Be sure to stop by our web site at <a href="http://www.bbays.com/">www.bbays.com</a> or call Brad today!BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-26932865465278082122012-12-29T21:50:00.003-08:002012-12-29T21:50:55.459-08:00New, Updated, and Improved Web Site Launched!Brad Bradford, At Your Service, has launched a fresh, new website at <a href="http://www.bbays.com/">www.bbays.com</a>!<br />
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The new site more accurately presents the product and service offerings that BBAYS has available to North Country clients. Check it out, and be sure to let us know what you think!<br />
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Speaking of new web sites, we have web design and hosting packages priced as low as $299 - isn't it time that your business (or family) had their very own web page and email at your own "dot com" address? Call us today for details!!BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971467999642466562.post-23879541325356878462012-12-10T15:31:00.002-08:002012-12-29T21:52:01.185-08:00BBAYS Blog is "On The Air"<h2>
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Brad Bradford, owner of Brad Bradford, At Your Service (BBAYS) and bbays.com is pleased to announce the launch of a new blog site at www.bbays03584.blogspot.com!<br />
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We will be using this blogsite to communicate special information to BBAYS clients and friends. Our blogs will also be available on our web site, <a href="http://www.bbays.com/">www.bbays.com</a>!BBAYShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08768052332763739300noreply@blogger.com0