Category: General

  • Ninja Team Episode 3 Posted

    Three days to go before we leave for Taiwan and I’ve posted episode 3 of Ninja Team Video Project over at ninjateam.com.

    I can’t say I’m too happy with the final result, but I’ve run out of time before leaving.

  • Tartar Sauce




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    Originally uploaded by Gridman.

    At fish & chip shops I hate it when they give you those little tiny portion cups for the tartar sauce, so, the other day, I improvised by using a soda lid instead.

    It’s a much more satisfying tartar experience, provided that the straw hole hasn’t been compromised.

    Now, if I just add a couple paperclips to this, I wonder if I can get it on Make Blog like John K. did?

  • Fortune Cookies




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    Originally uploaded by Gridman.

    Obviously they haven’t seen my photography skills!

  • How Many Ways Can You Spell “Eugene”?




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    Originally uploaded by Gridman.

    Once upon a time I was thinking of making a web page listing every ridiculous misspelling of my name I encounter at fast food restaurants.

    By far the worst offender has always been Fuddrucker’s. It seems they hire people who are both illiterate and deaf. I’ve had variations from “Ugee”, “Ujeen”, “U Jean”, “Yougin”, “Uji”, “Ujin” to my favorite “KC”.

    I never got around to the page and then the miracle occured: For the first time ever, they spelled it right!

    I had to at least commemorate that!

  • La Vecchia Pizza

    La Vecchia Pizza
    4432 N 19th Ave
    Phoenix, AZ 85015
    (602) 241-0527

    Review moved to Pizza Locust website, click here

  • Ducks In A Row




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    Originally uploaded by Gridman.

    Irene and James got their US passports back from the Taiwanese embassy and we are now a fully documented and approved traveling family.

    With only 10 days to go till our flight, Michelle is rapidly coming down with a cold. Unfortunately, this evening, I’m beginning to feel the tell-tale onset of an earache that usually precedes a cold. I can only hope we pass through it before the flight, and especially hope James doesn’t catch it.

  • What’s a Rusk?




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    Originally uploaded by Gridman.

    Irene brought home some more poorly-named baby crackers today. “Baby Mum-Mum” – gotta love it!

    Hot-Kid®
    Baby
    Mum-Mum
    Original
    100%
    Selected Superior
    Rice Rusks

    With marketing like that you know it has to be made in China – from the ever-popular Want Want Foods Ltd.

    Oh, and just in case you’re wondering:

    Rusk, n. a light, dry biscuit or pieve of rebaked bread, esp. one prepared for use as baby food.

    Bet they had to dig their dictionaries out to find that one!

  • Chinese New Year Video

    In 2003, Irene and I took Michelle back to Taiwan for her first trip. Now, we’re preparing for James’ first trip to Taiwan.

    As part of my preparation, I’m reviewing the video footage from the last trip to see if anything will be useful for this trip. I’m posting this video of the fireworks firefight that was held in Taipei near my in-laws’ home. (You can see the 7-11 I always go to in the background.)

    Two groups of people line up on either side of the street at midnight with cases of fireworks and the mayhem begins.

    (This video is about 6 minutes long and used H.264, so you’ll need Quicktime 7 or VLC to watch it. On this upcoming trip, I’ll also be posting videos of my travels in this same fashion. This file has been attached as a “podcast” for people using an RRS reader or iTunes and also as a direct link if you’re not.)

    Video ==> Chinese New Year Video 2003 – Taipei

  • Things I See On My Way To Work

    This morning, I pulled into the Quiktrip (my favorite convenience store) and as I park, I see the manger come out the front door with a slack-jawed gaping look on his face, staring across the parking lot.

    Curious fool that I am, I follow his gaze until I spy a 50-60 year old woman walking across the lot, away from the store.

    She was wearing what I can only describe as a Shirley Temple dress – sort of a frilly child’s dress with puffly sleeves and rows of overlapping cloth forming the skirt portion. The first problem with this picture was that the dress was too short, and only reached to just slightly below her waistline.

    It was so short that her underwear would have been completely uncovered – had she been wearing any!

    Instead, she was wearing a diaper – not a modern diaper, either. This was an old-style cloth diaperwrapped around and pinned up.

    It was not the best sight I could have started my morning with.

  • Themed-Restaurant Dinner

    As can happen this time of year, tonight we had a terrific downpour in the evening.

    We went out to run an errand and have dinner. After running the errand, it was apparent that the freeway underpasses were flooded, so we changed our dinner plans and went to Mimi’s instead.

    I suppose it was somehow appropriate that it was flooding outside and we were in a New Orleans’ themed restaurant. I think our waitress’ name was Katrina, too.

    Anyway, their French Onion Soup was really good.