Crafty Crap: Dollar Tree Mason-Jar Solar Lights (and Doggie-Rambling)

I can't imagine that this is a unique idea, but I figured I'd post it just the same!  Oh, and I'll probably start-out rambly - so consider yourself warned!!

See, we've got a "Special Needs Dog," Tazz-The-Spazz.  She has shattered all of my Old-Wiener-Dog Records by living well beyond the 14-1/2 year mark.  In fact, she is approaching 16 now!  She is our "Full-Throttle-Dog" who has always lived life to the fullest!  Our racing champ, and a veteran of multiple surgeries (including two neuro-surgeries for her back - which makes her OFFICIALLY more expensive than my Harley!).  

Tazz has definitely slowed WAY down in her Golden Years.  But, thus far, she still seems to be comfortable and happy - and I am committed to keeping her that way.  Her meals are all home-cooked (ground turkey and rice), she takes glucosamine daily, and when she feels creaky (i.e. rainy, cold days), we give her Rimadyl (basically doggie-aspirin).  If she ever reaches a point where we can't keep her comfortable...  Well, we'll make the appropriate "decision" for her.  But let's not go there, k?!

Seriously, she's still doing Pretty-Okay for an old girl.  She gives herself exercise by having "walkabouts" in the yard - usually 2-3 times per day - she walks the perimeter (and it's a mighty-long perimeter, especially considering that her legs are only about 3" long!).  

And she *still* gets excited when papa throws her tennis ball.  Seriously!  This dog is absolutely POSSESSED when papa throws the ball.  Now when mama throws it, "Meh!" She'll kinda half-heartedly galumph for a stride or two, then slow to a ramble.  But papa?!  Hell, she RUNS!  If she catches it on a bounce, she'll roll around on the grass in sheer delight!   She even still brings the ball back - on "good" days - but she's a far cry from the OCD Ball-Chasing Lunatic that she used to be (When it got so bad, we'd have to take her ball away.  She droves us absolutely CRAZY)

Yay!  Papa's throwing the ball!

We are making reasonable accommodations for her.  Her hearing isn't what it used to be, and her vision is definitely deteriorating.  We've had to keep the pool covered this summer (due to the drought - we want to minimize evaporation), and I am terrified of the dog falling in and slipping under the cover.  So we installed "landing lights" around the pool (solar rope lights).

Weenie-Dog Landing Lights
(view from the diving board end)

Cooler-lookin' view - including the TiKi BaR
We don't leave the pool-light on when it's covered

Just the rope lights around the perimeter

We also installed a Doggie-Door for Tazz, and she has the luxury of "freedom" to sleep wherever she chooses (the youngsters sleep in their crate).  Tazz sleeps, pretty-much, all of the time!  But she alternates between her two beds in the family room (one with a doggie-heating-pad and woobie, and a second unheated bed), and the doggie-bed/woobie combo in the kitchen.  

She seemed to be having some trouble locating the doggie-door at night, however, so I bought some cheap solar lights from the Dollar Tree (that kept falling over and rolling away!).

Okay, so THAT brings us to my Crafty Crap post! (Jeez!  FINALLY!)

Last week, this showed-up in my In-Box from Living Social:

Hey - Crappy cell-phone pic!

$14.99 for one solar mason jar light 

$39.99 for three.  Plus $3.99 shipping

Seemed like a cool idea.  But at almost $20 apiece I was *not* feelin' the love!  Hey - I've got all these tippy-over solar lights in the yard already, and Gawd-knows I've got a sh*t-ton of canning jars!  Maybe I can make some myself!  Here is what I did:

All the stuff you'll need:

(Minus the better-battery)

Start with a Dollar Tree Lamp like thus:

 It's actually a pretty cool-lookin' lamp

But unstable as hell!

Our Dollar Tree had a few of 'em left (end of summer).  They had black or white available, but I think they came in other colors as well - doesn't matter.  Also, you don't *have* to use this specific lamp - look for anything that has a top "puck" (circled below) that will fit inside the top ring of a mason  jar. 

The circled part is the only piece you'll need.

Next thing you're gonna do is take the lamp apart.  Remove the shade (which blows away when it tips over anyway!), then unscrew the top "puck" which contains the LED bulbs, a battery and the solar panel on top.  You may or may not want to use the bulb cover/diffuser (white cover directly under the "puck").

Cost, so far, $1.00

Now this next step was one I'd skipped, the first time around.  But it's a necessary step!  See, Dollar Tree lamps come with anemic AAA 100mAh Ni-Cd batteries that will not last through the night (they actually only stay lit for about an hour).  

Replace that bad-boy with something "juicier!"  I happened to have some 850mAh NiMHs laying around.  Google tells me that you can find even juicier rechargeable AAA's for appx $2.00 apiece.

This particular lamp has two teeny screws.  Unscrew 'em and open the puck to reveal the battery:

Anemic battery (yellow) - Dump it!
Better Battery on the right

Now I should note that the overall construction on my Dollar Tree lamp was...  Well, it's a Dollar-Tree Made-In-China piece of crap!  There are little clips at the top and bottom of the battery that wanted to pop-out while I was replacing the battery.  It required a little dexterity, but wasn't too difficult to complete the battery swap.  You do need the clips in place, and in contact with the battery terminals, otherwise it won't light up.  Put the thing back together and you're ALMOST done!

Cost so far:  Figure $3.00 (I'm still at $1.00 'cause I already had the batteries!)

Okay, next is fitting the "puck" into the mason jar ring.  Dollar Tree does carry mason jars, but I think the ring-opening on the top is a squee-bit bigger than the standard Ball/Kerr jar rings.  It really doesn't matter - as long as the puck is a fairly close fit.  You're gonna tweak-it larger by running electrical tape around the outside of the puck.  For mine, 4-5 layers of tape got me a good snug fit:

Dollar Tree sells electrical tape - Bada-Bing!

Next, you''re gonna want to snugly-fit the tape-wrapped puck into the top of your mason lid/ring and screw it onto the jar.  Now, depending upon whether you get rain in summer (not-so-much in parched California!), you might want to run another round of electrical tape at the point where the light-puck meets the jar-ring - to keep water from getting inside.  I don't think that water would hurt the light, but I would imagine it could get pretty "funky" in there if water got inside the jar.

Easy Peasy!

Cost so far: $4.00 (assuming you bought the jar at Dollar Tree - and I'm not counting the electrical tape in the cost)

So this is "okay" right now, but it's not gonna shine very brightly without something to help diffuse the light.  As I'd mentioned earlier, you could just use the lamp-cover/diffuser that came with the lamp.  I had originally considered buying a can of glass-frost spray at Home Depot, but my Dollar-Tree Compadre, P, came up with the brilliant idea of using glass pebbles in the jar (from Dollar Tree - Heyo!).

So, fill your jar almost-to-the-top with glass blobby-pebbles.  A pint-jar will use almost two full bags of pebbles.  And I would suggest using "mostly" clear pebbles, with maybe a few scattered colors.  You'll see, later, how the different color combos worked out, after dark.

Here is the first lamp, filled with mostly aqua-colored glass blobs:

Purdy!
(but not very bright, unfortunately)

Total Cost: About $6.00 apiece (Lamp $1 + Battery $2 + Jar $1 + Glass Blobs $2)  :-D

Okay, more pics...

Here are two jars - out in the sunshine.  The one on the left is the mostly-aqua blobs.  The one on the right is all-clear blobs in a blue jar.  The one on the right also has the "extra" electrical tape (for waterproofing), but I did a sloppy job with that (which is why I decided it wasn't necessary in parched-California!).

Even Purdier!

Oh, and they are definitely NOT 

gonna tip-over in the wind!

What was interesting:  I played around with the clear-blob lamps, after dark, and I really didn't notice a difference between clear-blobs in a blue jar vs. clear-blobs in a clear jar.  So if you want "pretty" in the daylight, and decent lighting after dark, use the blue jars with clear-blobs.  The colored-blobs really do cut-down on the amount of light, so I recommend sticking with clear-blobs, and maybe toss in a few random colored blobs for interest...

Okay, most of my "after-dark" pics were pretty crappy and, honestly, they aren't super accurate.  The camera compensated with a long-exposure so the pics appear brighter than they are in person.  Nevertheless, here are some pics:

Left: Aqua Blobs in Clear Jar

Right: Clear Blobs in Blue Jar

Left: Same as above

Right: Clear Blobs in Clear Jar

(not much difference)

Then, since I'd run out of glass blobs, I decided to make one more - using the plastic diffuser thingy from the original Dollar Tree Lamp.  Here are 3 together - next to the Doggie Door:

Left: Aqua Blobs in clear glass (least light)

Center: Clear in Clear

Right: Diffuser in Blue

So there you have it!  My (successful) attempt at making solar-powered mason-jar lamps for *well* under $20!  I like 'em and, while they aren't super-duper-bright, they do the job!  Tazz can find her way to the back door after dark!  Yayyy Me!

And now for something completely different...

No reason, other than I wanted to get these pictures posted and linkable!

Highway Wiener Nationals - 2007

Click to enlarge

Tazz "The Spazz" is in the #5 position (and took a commanding lead!)

Princess Annie is #6 (and I don't think she even budged!)

Close-up!

Tazz won her heat and took fourth, overall, out of (I'm guessing) several hundred dogs!

And what did we win (besides Bragging Rights)?

Burglars Beware - or - "Watch Your Ankles!"

Awesome times!

The following year, we didn't do so well.  Tazz made it to the finish line - and beyond!!!  Either her vision was starting to go and she just-plain didn't see me (that's a distinct possibility), or she was just so excited she ran right past me and into the crowd!

Sadly, after two back surgeries, Tazz's racing days are over.  And Annie and Dynah are just too lazy slow for racing!

And in related news:  If you're even remotely into Weenie Dogs, this movie is absolutely HYSTERICAL!

Wiener Takes All

Here is a trailer:

OTOH - If you aren't into Weenie Dogs, you'll probably shake your head and wonder what the hell is wrong with people! ;-)

Enjoy!

Edit: Ooh, I Googled 2007 Wiener Nationals and - aside from getting the Wienerschnitzel Competition - I did find one more photos of my girls!

Tazz and Dynah, and an unidentified onlooker!

Image Credit: westbaybanjo on Flickr

CRISIS AVERTED!

Yep.  ANOTHER rambling post! (I *swear* we'll get back to "regularly scheduled programming" at SOME point!!!)

Firstly - not that I'm gonna WHINE nonstop - I'm still experiencing some significant psoriasis woes.  I mention this only because it is kind of a Key Point in today's post...

Secondly - Other "background info:" Hubs is traveling on business.  He left, yesterday afternoon, to stay at a hotel near the SFO airport on a "Park-N-Fly" deal.  He'll be in Tel Aviv, Israel for appx 1 week (and NO - I do NOT like him traveling to the Middle East - but what're ya gonna do, right?!).

And thirdly/fourthly - Other "background info:"  Dynah - who I'd pictured here - is a Key Player in today's "Drama!"

Here she is again:

Yep.  She's mama's little Einstein!

And this also factors into the story:

The "original" shed (not to be confused with the newer Tiki Shack/Studio)

Okay...  There's all the background info!  Now, onto yesterday's DRAMA, which is basically a copy/paste from an email I'd sent out to my aunt...

Ha!  Today I had a bit of a Mini-Crisis with one of my dogs which - now that it's over - is actually pretty amusing!  It most-assuredly WASN'T amusing at the time!

See, I just started some new medication for my skin condition which makes me SUPER-DUPER tired and weak (but I should, eventually "acclimate" to it - and if it helps the skin condition, it will be worth it).  Hubs was actually worried about leaving me for his business trip to Israel - but I assured him that I would "get by" and - worst case - if I needed help, I do have helpful neighbors and good friends that I could turn to.

Well, shortly after he left, one of my dogs went missing!  It was Dynah, my little wire-haired doxie (and definitely "Mama's Girl").  Now she couldn't have gotten OUT of the yard, but she was very well-concealed.  I kept calling and calling her - nothing!  I got the dog-cookie-jar and shook it - nothing! (but the other two were MOST eager for cookies!). 

Now the funny thing is, if either of the other girls goes into hiding, I just call Dynah and say "Where's Annie (or Tazz)?!" and Dynah will lead me right to the errant hound (Dynah "rats 'em out!" every time).  Well this time I asked Tazz "Where's Dynah?" and Tazz just brought me to her tire (her favorite throw-toy).  Tazz was too interested in playing fetch, so I turned to Annie "Where's Dynah?!"  Annie just kind of looked at me like I was nuts!

Well, then I started to panic. "DYNAH?!!  DYNAH?!!!" 

Eventually, I heard a muffled-but-panicked bark - coming from UNDER the porch of the shed. 

Not sure if you remember our "little house"/shed out back, but there is a porch on the front of it and - knowing that we have little dogs - I made sure everything was constructed in such a way that the dogs couldn't get UNDER it.  So HOW she got trapped under there is anybody's guess!  But what WAS clear was that she couldn't figure out how to get out - and she was really freaked-out!  And, since she is "my baby" - I was pretty freaked, too!

So I go into the garage and grab the drill and a phillips-head screwdriver bit - thinking I could simply undo 6 screws to remove a plank, and help pull her out.  Unfortunately, all I succeeded in doing was stripping the screw-heads!  And at that point, I was getting REALLY exhausted (and frantic).  Sun is starting to set.  The dog is shrieking piteously at this point.  And I can't get her out!

I went out front to see if my neighbors are home.  Nope.

I ended up calling my good friend, P, IN TEARS (and I am decidedly NOT what you'd call a "Drama Queen" - but I was feeling pretty desperate at that point).

"Hi.  Umm. [snif snif] Are you busy right now?"

"I'm just starting to cook dinner.  Why are you crying?"

I managed to choke out a few details about how one of the dogs was trapped under the shed and I couldn't get her out.

"I'm sending C over - right now!"

So I sat on the shed-porch, trying to calm Dynah (and myself!) down, and waited for "Rent-A-Son Services" C (Priscilla's son) to arrive.

Bless his heart - it took him less than 5 minutes to unscrew and remove a plank, retrieve the dog, replace the plank, FIND where she had dug an "access trench" and block it off with a big ol' cement block, AND give her a belly-rub!

CRISIS AVERTED!!!

I feel extremely fortunate to have such good friends.  I really HATE having to ask for help - but it's nice to know it's there when you need it!

So yeah, in hindsight, it makes for a pretty amusing story.  But - at the time - I was a freaking basket-case (and, honestly, probably more p*ssed-off over the fact that I couldn't "fix it myself" than anything else).

Watering Woes Mostly Solved (for now!)

Welllll...  We accomplished a bit in the Garden Realm today.  Not as much as I would have liked, but ANY progress is better than NO progress, right?

Hubs woke up, bright-and-early (although not at 4:30am!) and mowed the lawn.  That was a good thing because poor Dynah was getting lost in the lawn (srsly)!

Then I asked Dear Hubs if he would be so kind as to help with replacing a few of the drip emitters that the dogs had chewed through...

More specifically:

Quiver as you stare into the Face of Sprinkler Destruction!!!

Princess Annie says "Yeeeeahhh?!!  So what?!!"

She is our Chief Sprinkler Eater

Annnnd... Annie's sidekick:

Tazz the Spazz

"Sprinklers?  What sprinklers?  I don't know nuthin' bout no sprinklers!!!"

Dynah Lowrider, whom the vet's office compares to Einstein (because, obviously, she so intelligent - right?)...

Right???

Anywaaaayyyy...  Dynah is far too focused on protecting our personal safety, and endlessly 'patrols the perimeter,' barking incessantly.  So she really doesn't have TIME to destroy the sprinkler system!

Oh.  Sorry.  What was I talking about?

Oh yeah, Dear Hubbie agreeing to fix "a few" drip emitters for me.  

Well, thank goodness I'd had the foresight to purchase the friggin' "Contractor's Pack" of 850-jillion drip emitters from Home Depot (Did you know that H.D. stands for both Home Depot *and* Hundred Dollars?!).

Hubs was not happy.  But it's done now and - guess what?! - water *does* make it clear-out to the raised beds! Yayyyy!!! (I'm still gonna keep an eye on it though).

I also rigged up another mini-drip-loop for my "overflow" bed by the back fence.  Did not get around to sticking anything in the ground - but at least the bed is ready...

Unfortunately, Rent-A-Son Services did not make it over today, so my Super-Optimistic goal of getting the shed cleaned out, never happened :-(  But he *did* take his mom out to lunch and - what with it being Mother's Day and all - I *guess* that's legit!

On the other hand, I did plant these little beauties:

Aloe Tikis!

I think they're pretty cool!  Plus, I've not been able to find 100% Aloe Vera gel ANYWHERE (not even the health-nut store around the corner from me).  They all seem to have just a smidge of alcohol - which hurts like hell.  So now I'll just grow my own!

Anyway, that's the latest 'n greatest.  Hopefully, during this upcoming week, I can plant the rest of my veggies and get that monkey off my back!

  

Running Out of Excuses....

So, Good-Neighbor-Bri stopped by this evening...

See, I'd asked him, several weeks ago, if he would be willing to install the "heat-shields" on the Kiln-Korner Walls of my Studio - and he graciously agreed to assist...

Of course, he's got a full-time job of workin'-for-a-livin', and raising-a-family, and havin'-a-life, so he wasn't able to get to My Project right away... No worries!!!

So... Late this afternoon there was a light tap-tap-tapping at my door.... It was Good-Neighbor-Bri, asking if now was a good time to tackle my project.

Hell yeah!!!

So we wandered out back...

Well, Bri was unaware of our "Close the Garden Gate IMMEDIATELY" rule and, well, Tazz-The-Spazz (aka "Food-Hoe") managed to make her way back into the garden - AGAIN! And NOTHING (Not even the threat of Nuclear Holocaust) (aka "Momma's Wrath") would lure her out...

:::sigh:::

Fatty McTazz - Round II!

On the Plus Side: I *did* get my Heat-Shields installed! And Bri *even* moved the kiln out - from the living room (no more toe-stubbing!!!), to The Studio!!!

And - partial-payment - was a jar of my Most-Coveted Sweet-Corn-Apple-Relish (I *really* do have to make a second batch of that sh*t! It is WAAAAAYYYYY too good - and I *don't* want to run-out!!!)

Kiln and Heat-Shields, installed!

Sooooo... Other than re-arranging the cement blocks, under the kiln (which are uneven and the kiln kinda "rocks" a bit - oops!), I have officially run-out of excuses for NOT using my studio!!!

I'll still have bisque-firing (which takes 17 hrs!) done at "The Studio." But now I can do my own "final" mid-fire (or even high-fire) firings @ home!!!

Yayyyyy!!!! The Tiki-Shack / Studio is - officially - "Complete!!!"

Life! Is Good!!!

More Ramblings - Plus Frozen Squozen Maters - Part Deux

Well, we had a perfectly awesome weekend...

Pretty low-key, overall, but we did spend Saturday Morning over at Leo's house to "supervise" the mast-raising/rigging procedure for Albatross. It went well and I think he "gets" it. He just needed a little boost of confidence - which we were more than happy to provide...

Then we came home for some serious Poolsize-Lazing...

Princess Annie Supervised!

So, after an afternoon of heavy-duty poolside lazing, DH decided to fire up the grill. We had:

The Bestest Salad Ever, followed by thin-cut, smoked pork-chops (already-smoked - from the grocery store), which I'd lightly glazed with real maple syrup. Hubs warmed 'em on the grill: 5 mins one side, then flipped 'em over and cooked for another 3 mins. We served them buried in my (warmed!) Sweet-Corn-Apple-Relish. And I totally cheated and went with nukable side-dishes: Fresh Garlic-Butter Green Beans and Mashed 'Taters (both pre-made from the store - sorry!) (Yes, I'm a cheater! But my Farmshare Beans kinda, well, ended up being compost!). And we *shoulda* followed up dinner with a slice of my Orgasmic Peach-Blueberry Pie (Ooh - with Vanilla Ice Cream!), but we were so full from dinner, we skipped dessert!

Unfortunately, no pics of dinner - but it was both beautiful *and* delicious! Even hubs gave it a big Thumb's-Up (and he's a pretty traditional "Meat and Potatoes" kinda guy!). Just envision a pork chop buried under a mound of colorful corn relish. Pile of beans and a wad o' mashed taters on the side!

Gawd - That relish was sooooo good, I am seriously considering whipping up another batch before Corn Season is over! It's a ton 'o work, but definitely worth it!

* * * * *

Soooooo... On to Sunday! Sunday sorta turned into Run-Errands and Do-Chores. I spent about an hour at Home Depot, torturing myself by looking at tiles again. I found a bathroom wall-tile that I like - color is dead-on for matching the tub and not detracting from the "accent tile." But it's $4.90/sq ft which totally blows the budget. I'll probably yammer about that in a separate post - but the "cut to the chase" version is: I *did* find a tile that is "damn close" at Home Depot for only $0.99/sq ft. But I can't decide if it's "close enough!" :::sigh:::

Once I stopped torturing myself over the bathroom remodel (Tiles... Tiles... Tiles... Fixtures... Fixtures... Fixtures... AACK!!!), I wandered out to the Garden Dept and picked up a bag of potting soil (need to pot-up some house-plants and probably "freshen" the soil in the upside-down planters), and some composted steer manure (Yummmm!) Steer Manure will be tossed onto the straw-bale bed which will be revived for Cool-Season Veggies.

In the meantime, Hubs was busy with yard-work. Mowing, Blowing, Edging, Yada-yada. Dogs usually stay inside while all of this is going on. Once he finishes, he lets 'em out.

Welllllllllll.... *Somebody* forgot to close the Garden Gate!!!

No. Tazz is NOT pregnant!

Tazz the Spazz is THE most opportunistic little Food-Hoe EVAR! I can just imagine her sheer giddiness and glee when she raced outside and saw that *The Gate* (Leading to Heaven / All-You-Can-Eat-Splendor) was open. That little sh*t gorged herself on rotting peaches until she was about ready to burst!!!

I always swore she'd eat herself to death. And I suspect she came DAMN close, yesterday! Frankly, I'm amazed I didn't catch her in the act! But she is so worrisome and paranoid that, I suspect, as soon as she heard the back-door open, she ran OUT of the garden so as not to be scolded.

Nevertheless, her "sin" was QUITE clear to me! (and the look she gets on her face when she is "Busted" is absolutely priceless) (and can't be adequately captured on camera, unfortunately!). So I hustled her back into the house - briefly.

"Uhhh, Babe? C'mere and take a look at Tazz, would'ja?"

"Oh... My... GOD!!!"

"Uhh, yeah. *Somebody* left the Garden Gate open!

"Holy sh*t! You better get her outside!"

"Uh huh!"

Tazz. Sleeping off her "Afternoon Bender"

On the Plus Side: I probably don't have as many rotting peaches to rake-up and dispose-of!!!

Amazingly, she managed to digest everything (either that or - well, I don't want to think about the alternative - but we *did* keep her outside all day!). She is back to her normal, trim ("Oh-My-Gawd-I'm-STARVING!!!") self today...

* * * * *

Allrighty then! That brings us to TODAY and the "recipe du jour" - such as it is!!!

The tomatoes continue to multiply and they've been piling up in my bucket on the sink. I am about "Saladed-Out" at this point. I've run out of Balsamic Vinegar so that rules out my Tomato/Mozzarella/Basil/Balsamic/Olive Oil Caprese Thingy. BLT's only taste good when somebody ELSE makes 'em. And I'm too lazy to make Finny's Tomato Sausage Pie (although I *will* before summer ends - I swear). Well, crap. I know she posted the recipe but I can't find it easily (wish Blogger had a "Search" function - oh, well!). When/If I find it, I'll post it!

Addendum: Found it! (BTW - This was the post where I first "discovered" Finny's Blog. It was linked from another blog that I followed and now I'm a Full-on Finny-Fan!)

Annnnnnyyyyywaaaaayyyy...

The Maters are taking over the kitchen (and some are starting to compost themselves - ooooops!). And I don't feel like eating them at the moment (:::gasp:::). Yet, I hate to let them go to waste! I already have a GALLON of frozen-squozen 'maters in the freezer and I decided, this afternoon, that I want some frozen, NON-squozen (aka Mostly Chunky) maters this time around.

I don't know about you - but whenever I make Pasta Sauce, I like to include "chunky" tomatoes. Ideally, fresh, but I've been know to buy Organic Diced "Italian Style" Canned tomatoes at the store - to add a little texture to my sauce (BTW - I'm not a total Birkenstock-Wearing/Tree-Hugging/Prius-Driving/Whole-Foods-Shopping Organic Phreak or anything like that... But I *do* try to avoid foods sweetened with High-Fructose Corn Syrup, so "organic" canned krep is the way to go...).

Sooooo... I consulted this site for some general guidelines on how to freeze tomatoes. Great, illustrated site (although she's using nice, uniformly-sized Plum Tomatoes). I, OTOH, was using a wide variety of Heirloom Tomatoes, so my illustrations aren't so "nice!"

Anyway, here's what I did:

I started with a bunch of non-rotting tomatoes :-)

Soon to be Freezer-Fodder!

Weighed 'em - just for sh*ts 'n grins...

I'm calling this 4#

Set up a pot of boiling water for blanching, and a bowl for ice water, like thus:

It's like a Hot-Tub for Produce, right?!

Uhh, maybe not!

Boil 'em til the skins start to split (30-60 seconds). Then plunge them into an ice bath:

"Refreshing!" (NOTTT!!!)

Important Notes: I think, if I were to do this again, I would cut-out/core the green stem-end *before* I started blanching them. This would expedite the "peeling" process (and minimize the "cooking!"). Seems like the 'maters want to float topside-up. And it seems like the skins are easiest to peel from the "top." What I ended up with was tough-tops (that didn't want to peel easily) and squishy underbellies...

After blanching, the skins *should* peel right off:

"Ick!" (Wait! It gets worse!)

RolyPig, the Composter will be happy, though!

End up with a bunch of NEKKID 'MATERS!!!

Produce Porn!

Next, you need to de-seed them...

Helps if you cut 'em across the "equator"

The aforementioned site mentioned trying to save the juice. Uhhh, no! It all went into the sink. Pretty much, the procedure is, expose the innards by slicing it, then squeeze it with your hands to get the juice and *most* of the seeds out. Messy!

Ewwww!!! Not very appetizing, is it?!

End up with a bowl-full of de-seeded, partially squozen 'maters...

I'm calling it roughly 2# at this point...

I chopped 'em down til they were a bit more uniform in size. Probably ended up with 1/4-1/2" chunks, overall. I wasn't super-anal about getting rid of ALL the seeds, but I think I got most of 'em. I also squoze out most of the juice because I mainly wanted to preserve the "meaty-chunks" of tomato (I've got plenty of Saucy Stuff to work with!).

After that, I bagged 'em for the freezer:

Labeled and Ready to Freeze!

I think it'll be WAY COOL to make "fresh" tomato sauce in the middle of winter - using my very own home-grown produce!!!

This really is the first year I've ever done any significant "preserving." Yeah, I'd kinda tried to freeze peaches and made frozen strawberry jam. And - much as I'd like to - I can't ever forget my Plum Jam Debacle! But I think I've done a pretty amazing job of stocking-up for winter this year. I'm actually kinda proud of myself! :-)

Too funny not to share!

It's gone viral - but in case you haven't seen it...

I've watched it at least a dozen times and *still* laugh every time...

Whoever made this is a genius!

Emergency Break from Regularly Scheduled Blogging...

Hah! Just as I was starting to get on a semi-regular blogging schedule, friggin' Real Life had to get in the way! Dont'cha just *hate* when that happens?!

Tazz the Spazz, my Mama-Dog, has just had Surgery #3 (:::sigh:::). Happens *every* *friggin* *time* I pay off my credit cards to zero! Swear-to-Gawd!!!

Payoff a credit card: Within a week - *somebody's* gonna need emergency surgery!

Anyway...

Tazz is 11 years old. She's a black and tan smooth mini-dachshund. I got her around Feb-Mar 2000 - shortly after Tuxedo the Wonder Dog died in my arms (of natural causes). When I got her, her name was Latte (as in Mocha-Latte). "Uhh, No!" But I wasn't sure what to name her, so I figured I'd give it a couple of days - maybe she'd name *herself.*

I can't quite decide *what* Tazz is. This is fine - neither can she! She definitely has NO clue that she's a dog (let alone a small one!), and she really doesn't know "her place" in this world. But she *did* name herself. Tazz is a dog with boundless energy and absolutely NO sense of direction - and. quite honestly, NO CLUE whatsoever. About what? you might ask. My point Exactly!

Yes, she did name herself. Tazz the Spazz!

I think she might be part Labrador because her appetite surpasses All Things in the Universe. That dog would eat until she burst - I kid you not!!!

And I think she might be part Border Collie because she runs and runs and runs and runs. And then she runs some more. We have a 1/4 acre lot and - having moved from a 32'x11' boat (her ENTIRE WORLD) to a HUGE lot with ALL. THAT. GRASS. Well, it's like she'd died and gone to heaven!

Annnnd... She's part greyhound. We'd entered her in a couple of "Fun" Weiner National Dachshund Races - and damned if she didn't take 4th, overall! (her last running, she didn't fare so well. Unfortunately, her vision is "going" and she lost sight of me at the end of the track. She raced right past me, into the crowd, and KEPT ON GOING!!!)

She's also part retriever - with a serious OCD streak. Tennis ball?! Oh Good Gawd! She can chase a tennis ball tirelessly for hours without even breaking a sweat. And, oh my yes, does she bring it back! Again, and again, and again, and again...

And she has a serious Addictive Personality. If we dare to take the tennis ball away, she literally goes into withdrawals. We actually have to lure her into the house - with food (which - I'm convinced - is her #1 Love in Life). Then one of us has to sneak outside to REMOVE the tennis ball and stash it in the storage shed.

Next time she goes out? She runs and sniffs frantically ALL OVER THE YARD. ENDLESSLY. Whining and fretting and generally FREAKING OUT because "Where's my ball? Where's my ball? Where's my ball?"

If we attempt to lure her back into the house (Food again - Yes, it still works), she'll inhale her snack, then she'll sit by the back door, trembling and whining. This behavior can last, literally, for days...

And Gawd help us if we have to go into the storage shed to find something. She *knows* they're in there (even if she hasn't had a tennis ball for MONTHS)..

At one point, I actually invested a significant chunk o' change and bought her a Go-Dog-Go tennis ball launcher - thinking she could entertain herself. I spent HOURS (Were talking WEEKS) trying to teach her how to drop the ball into the bucket but "OH MY GAWD!!! IT DISAPPEARED!!! WHERE'S MY BALL DAMN YOU?!!! IT'S GONE!!!" Whirrrrrrrr THWUMP! as it launched another ball - and she darted off after it - having miraculously forgotten about the "disappearing" tennis ball. Nevertheless, she insisted on bringing the ball back to ME. She abso-freaking-lutely REFUSED to drop the ball into the bucket. So, the tennis ball launcher now lies dormant in the shed...

Bottom Line: The Tennis Ball Addiction just got too far out of hand, so we were forced to stage the Ultimate Intervention. All tennis balls have been forever banished from our yard. (Occasionally, the neighbors kids will accidentally lob one over the back fence - and all hell breaks loose! We quickly round-up the hounds, then toss it back over the fence!).

Tazz was utterly bereft with nothing to chase or chew, however. I did substitute a large Tire-Biter toy. (Oh, she is Destructo-Dog, too. In fact, I should rent her out to Dog-Toy manufacturers to test the claim that a particular toy is "indestructible" - I have yet to find a toy that is Tazz-Proof!!). The Tire-Biter at least lasts a couple of months!

Well, Tazz just couldn't break her "Retriever Ways" unfortunately. And she gets sooooo "into" it. She loves when toys (even heavy hard-rubber toys) "bounce" off her nose (it's a wonder she hasn't gotten a concussion!). And she'll LEAP into the air, twisting and careening off of whatever, to try to catch it "on the bounce."

So I guess she is part gymnast as well!

And I think *she* thinks that she is part bird (Don't even get me started on her Quixotic Quest to actually *catch* a bird!).

Over the years, all this running and leaping and twisting and non-stop frenetic behavior took it's toll on poor ol' Tazz (Oh, my sister's nickname for her is "Psycho" - and it's not too far off the mark!). So, over the years, she has had two back surgeries.

Invariably, this happens at, like, 3:00 on a Sunday morning so a trip to the Emergency Vet is in order. And, of course, this isn't anything that the local Emergency Vet is equipped to handle. Oh no! This requires a veterinary NEUROSURGEON (and they are neither plentiful, nor cheap!).

Anyway, Tazz has had TWO (count 'em - TWO) back surgeries, an MRI ($3,000!!!), and Gawd only knows what else, right? All "throwing toys" have been forever banished from the yard (chew-toys too, unfortunately because - to Tazz - ALL toys are meant to be thrown!). I have *always* discouraged jumping off of furniture for ALL of the dogs (Doxies = Back Problems). And I am obsessive about keeping the dogs thin (wish it worked that well on myself - but I digress!).

A frequent conversation around here goes something like this:

"Rinse the dish out before you give it to 'em."

"Aw, c'mon Babe! It's just gravy!" (it's a 1/2" deep puddle of congealing fat and sodium from one of his TV dinners).

"Just rinse it out and leave some water in it! They'll still love you for it!" I reply. "I promise, with their hyper-developed taste-buds, its *still* delicious to them!"

"But she doesn't get enough!" sez Rog

"She can NEVER get enough! Jeez! Do YOU wanna pay for the next back-surgery???"

He grudgingly rinses out the dish (but still leaves a generous amount of gravy!).

Rog is a sucker for Tazz's "I'm a Poor Starving Orphan" routine! I wish *I* could master her "pathetic eyes" stare (with tremble and barely perceptible whine!).

Annnnnnnywaaaaayyy... I've been pretty adamant about *not* paying for another surgery for Tazz, and have ruled the tableside with an Iron Fist, right?

She's 11 years old. Investing in another surgery would be just plain STUPID, right?

:::sigh:::

Did I mention that I paid off my credit card last month? Like, to zero?

IDIOT!!!

So Tuesday morning, I'm working from home. Rog is in SoCal on business. I'm doing my normal routine, working at home, getting ready for Conference Calls and yada-yada...

All of a sudden, and for no discernible reason, Tazz came racing out of the bedroom with her tail wagging, but she was whining non-stop (in her most annoying wheezy high-pitched way). Then she ran into the corner of the den, hopped up on her woobie, and continued to whine.

I called her over. She just sat there, whining. I opened the fridge. She came racing over, but continued to whine and tremble.

"Oh sh*t. What's wrong?" whine-whine-tremble.

I tossed her a piece of food (which she inhaled). Unfortunately, I had a conference call starting up so I had no choice but to toss everyone in the crate and hope for the best...

After my call, I let everyone out. I checked Tazz's hind-legs and she's still "strong" back there - so it's not her back (*whew!*). But now she's licking her girl-parts obsessively and continuing to whine. I look to see where she's licking and I see nasty stuff. "Uh-Oh!" Oh Gawd *please* don't let it be pyometra!"

Long-story short: Yep, Tazz contracted pyometra, a nasty uterine infection. We actually lost a girl to that about 8 yrs ago (but she was 14 years old and had lots of other "issues" and we were to the point of "let her live out her days, as long as she's comfortable..." Pyometra ended that, unfortunately, so we made the very difficult decision to euthanize her - but, again, I digress!).

So, I grabbed the first available appt at the vet. Thankfully, I didn't have any more conference calls scheduled and the vet had a cancellation.

We talked about the risks of surgery (on an 11 year old dog who's had two back surgeries) vs. the likelihood of this clearing up with *just* antibiotics. Fortunately, it was an "open" pyometra - which meant the bad-stuff could drain - but I'd been thinking of having her spayed anyway (just "not at gunpoint!").

It seemed like an insane decision - to opt to perform surgery on an 11-year old dog - but she is still so "full of life" I just couldn't see cutting it short. But there were definitely risks, too. We knew spaying *would* take care of the pyometra - so that was a good thing. But the risk of performing surgery on a dog with a bad-back is that they get so "relaxed" during anesthesia, that they can knock the vertebra out of alignment very easily (leading to paralysis and ANOTHER back-surgery) (did I mention that back surgeries end-up running close to $8000 APIECE???).

Nevertheless, I just couldn't see any other alternative. "Let's do it. Just PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be careful with her back!"

They sent us home with antibiotics and pain meds for the night. Her surgery was scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Prior to sending us home, they hesitantly gave me the "estimate" for her upcoming surgery. They were all apologetic (and nice about it). I took a look at it and - probably for the first time in the history of this veterinarian's practice - said "Wow. That's not bad!" (it was just over $1,000 - but compared to two $8,000 back-surgeries...!!!)

Tuesday night, Tazz mostly slept (she was all doped-up on Tramadol!). But she *did* wolf-down her dinner - so that was encouraging! She wasn't allowed to eat after 10:00pm, so she got LOTS of cookies that night (she looked like a stuffed sausage when I finally put her to bed!).

Wednesday morning was PURE PANDEMONIUM. "What do you MEAN we don't get breakfast?!!" Tazz got plunked into the small kennel-cab, then mom grabbed THE LEASH and EVERYBODY went nuts. Ayeee Ayeee Yipe-Yipe-Yipe-Yipe!!! It sounded like a goddamn kennel!

And when I dropped her off Wednesday morning, I had tears streaming down my face - to the point where the vet came out and gave me a big hug! (I am *such* a sniveling wimp when it comes to my dogs - it's positively pathetic!)

The Good News is: Tazz came through surgery like a champ. The vet called me around noon and reported that everything went well. I could come and bring her up between 5:00-7:00pm.

When I went to get her, I got the Post-Op instructions, along with "Go ahead and try to give her a *small* meal around 7:30 tonight - but don't be surprised if she's not interested in food..."

I refrained from saying "What are you KIDDING ME??? The day *this* dog skips a meal is the day we grab a shovel and start digging a hole!"

Sure as sh*t - come 7:30pm, I gave her a half-sized meal (by then, she looked positively emaciated), and she WOLFED it down. In fact, I had to take it away, midway through, because I was afraid she was gonna vapor lock!

Today is Saturday and - other than having a zipper in her belly - you wouldn't even know she'd had surgery. She is neurotic and active as ever!

So this means that Tazz is also part-cat. Now she's gotten through THREE of her Nine Lives!

Unique Fashion Statement for the Royal Wedding.

Plus, if we can just get her to hold still, we can get 972 additional channels on our TV!

Tahoe Weekend and Miscellaneous Stuff...

I'm a Bad Blogger...

The fact is, I just haven't found much worth blogging about (again, my muses are avoiding me!).

We actually did take a three-day-weekend trek to the snow last week (Friday-Sunday). We've only been talking about it every freakin' year since we've been together (2001!). This year, we finally did it!

That probably should have provided a Ton o' Blog-Fodder, but I wasn't in much of a literary mood.

Ohhh, I s'pose I could b*tch about the cheesy accommodations (It was a "Budget Weekend" after all!). But that's just too negative...

Besides, when you're traveling with dogs (and yes, we were!), you kinda have to take what you can get, right?!

Nevertheless, I will opine that - if YOU happen to find yourself looking for a cheap, pet-friendly motel on Tahoe's North Shore, and you happen to stumble onto the Tahoe Inn... Make sure you read the Traveler's Reviews (at sites like TripAdvisor.com) and set your expectations accordingly!

My expectations were low - and I was not disappointed! Let's just leave it at that!

* * * * *
Okay, maybe not! Let's just take it half-a-step further, shall we?!

Once we returned from our Big Adventure In The Snow, I knew the dogs needed baths (Pretty [melting] Snow + Furry Little Dogs = Mud Galore!). I didn't jump on it right away, unfortunately.

The next day, Princess Annie (The long-haired Doxie) was biting furiously at her butt. I wasn't sure what was going on - but she was clearly in distress, I watched her when she went outside to "take care of business," and I took a look at her - umm - "output" and confirmed that everything was "OK" from that perspective. Yet she continued to chew at her butt, rolling on the floor, and whining most piteously...

Called the vet... Grabbed the first available appointment...

$129.00 later: I learned that Princess Annie is allergic to fleas!

"B-b-but! We don't have fleas!" I said, incredulously (*Certainly* not Princess Annie! She's Royalty, after all!).

"Well, didn't you say you were in Tahoe this weekend?" the vet replied "Where did you stay?"

"Ohhhhh sh*t!" I muttered. "I mean, 'Oh Darn!' We stayed at a cheap motel that allowed dogs!" (Adding new meaning to the term "Fleabag Hotel!")

So it cost me $129.00 to learn that we had fleas - and I *still* had to bathe ALL the dogs myself! And hit 'em all with Frontline!

"$%#&!"

Problem solved now. So it's all good...

Anyway - I really don't want to rag on the Tahoe Inn. "It is what it is." And they DO allow dogs - and they ARE reasonably priced. If they invested any money in the place and updated/upgraded it - they probably wouldn't allow dogs anymore AND their prices would undoubtedly go waaaaay up!

Anyhooooo... It was a good weekend and it was nice to get away!

* * * * *
Back to work on Monday - and my workload is definitely picking up now (which is a good thing - but I was kinda getting used to being lazy!). Days are starting to get longer - which is really nice! And we've had a break in the rain - which is also nice!

Since I've mostly been working-from-home, this gives me an opportunity to putter-around a bit in the yard.

I'm happy to report that most of the fruit trees are in bloom... The early-bearer peach is in full-bloom and leaves are starting to appear. The later-bearer is just starting to bud. My Satsuma plum already bloomed and most of the blossoms are gone now (Gee, I sure hope we had some bee visitations!), and the Santa Rosa Plum is in full-bloom. Not sure about the Apple or Cherry Tree... Haven't seen any blossoms yet - so maybe they'll start budding later (or maybe I missed it!)

...Last year's Daylilies are all planted now (Yay!), and I've got more of 'em on the way (bulbs or bare-root or whatever). Dayliles are clearly un-killable - so they're the PERFECT plant for the far-back fence...

My raised bed is just about ready for new veggie plants. I cultivated the surface of the soil and mixed in the rotted leaves and composted (bagged) steer manure. I also set-up wire fencing to keep my Darling Quadrupeds OUT of the garden this year!

ALL of my tomato seeds have sprouted and I have a gazillion tomato plants that will soon be ready for planting. In the meantime, I hooked up with a gardening pal and pawned off SOME of the seedlings!

I still need to finish constructing my self-watering tomato planters (One is "almost done!"). I think, maybe, I'll work on those tomorrow.

Nighttime temps are still a little too cool to set out seedlings - and the babies are definitely too young to go out (they've just barely started getting their first "true leaves"). They'll need to be hardened off in the next week-or-so. I'll probably move them out to the greenhouse and raise the thermostat - just a hair - so the heater will keep them from freaking out too badly at night! Although it'll still be a big adjustment going from the consistently-warm windowsill to the greenhouse. But less-so than sticking 'em straight in the ground!

My soon-to-be pumpkin-patch isn't *quite* ready yet. We need another couple of rainstorms, I think. And I'll need to drag out the rototiller and break-up the rock-hard clay that resides UNDER the mound of leaves/manure. Plus, the first couple of pumpkin seeds I'd planted never did sprout - so I started some more. Fingers are crossed that I didn't get a bad batch o' seeds! (eBay purchase, so "Caveat Emptor" right?!). So yeah, I started more pumpkin seeds, and some squash, and melons. Those are all in the windowsill and some are just starting to sprout...

Annnnnnnnd... Today's Big Job was turning the compost piles - both of 'em! And yes, that was a Big Job! I didn't do the greatest job of tending to them last year, unfortunately (Gee, I wonder why?! Couldn't be health-related :::sigh:::). So the quantity of usable compost was pretty disappointing. Only the very bottom layer ended up breaking down fully - so I'm definitely gonna have to buy bagged compost this year :-(

I may have to abandon the idea of composting on a large scale. But I am going to go to a Composting Workshop next weekend, and I will be buying a worm-bin so that I can at least use-up kitchen scraps and coffee grounds. Anyone in the San Jose/Santa Clara County Area can go to any of the workshops - for free - and pick-up compost bins - for cheap. Info here.

Another cool composting gizmo is here. I really want one. But I don't think it will work - as well as I'd like - for large-scale composting (of things like grass-clippings, leaves, etc.) as my bins. But my bins don't do a very good job, either, if I'm not willing to turn 'em and tend-to-them - ya know?!

* * * * *
I really hate that I don't have the "energy" to do this stuff! But I'm not gonna start another "Old-Lady-Whine" again :-x

Actually, I've got plenty to be happy about, health-wise. I had labs done in mid-Feb. My last A1C (for any Diabetic Readers out there who might understand and/or care!) came back at 5.7!!!! Yayyyyyy!!!! I *finally* made the "5% Club!" From 11 in Dec '07 to 5.7 in Feb '09 is pretty darned good, I think! Of course, I'm still taking insulin at levels that would kill most people - but I'm still happy with the improvement.

I just wish I had more energy! (and weighed about 100# less - which would undoubtedly help with the energy levels!).

Anyway - apologies for being a Bad Blogger. And apologies for a rambling and not particularly interesting post...

I'll try to do better!!!

* * * * *

FWIW: Here are some pics (and "Commentary!") from the Tahoe-Weekend Adventure!

ROAD-TRIP!!! Hwy 680 is GREEN:

Windmills over Altamont Pass: First Sighting of "Real Snow" on Interstate 80:

Pretty Snow:

Wiener Dogs' first romp in the snow: Our "Lovely Accommodations:" Groovy 1960's Can Light (I'm *positive* that my mom had a pole-light-fixture that matched this!):

Our Room Key (nevermind that we were actually in room 241!):

Princess Annie, enjoying a brew after a long drive:

My attempt at an Artsy-Fartsy shot. Icicles and Christmas Lights outside of a BBQ joint where we had dinner:

Drive around the lake on a perfectly gorgeous day:

Not-so-gorgeous drive home:

Stop 'n Go Traffic (Lotsa "Stop" - Not so much "Go!")

It's snowing!!! (And no, we aren't carrying chains - "Why do you ask?!")
Oh, because the snow might start to "stick" maybe???



Yeah, maybe!

But the trees were pretty!


Took us 2 hours to clear Donner Summit (a distance of 40 miles from Truckee) - and I was deeply regretting our decision to *not* stop at Mickey-D's (Coffee hit the bladder about 30 minutes into the Stop-N-Crawl-N-Stop-N-Crawl Traffic!). But we made it home safely (obviously!).