For an entire year, less than the time I was out with my leg, I have engaged in a walking regime. I think the key to many successful exercise routines is to put together something that could also raise the addiction level. In this case, the walk is interrupted by a stop at the nearby Starbucks for what as near as they can get to the product that really put them on the map that they sell so little of any more.. the cappucino.
It is difficult for those not trained specifically to make these right. They are more likely to be successful making lattes the most likely ordered drink of the company now. It is amazing however, that the number of regular cups of coffee still seem to fly out the door. Many around here, including Linzi, when she is here, opt for there iced tea. It is a very nice full flavored ice tea. Anything ordered passed 9 o'clock around here will be likely iced based.Because we are in the valley and we have summer. Despite this,there is little ice grinding,in the morning.
The manager was there this morning. She told the barista on machine to do something else while she made mine today. She then instructed her that this was what it should look like when it was done. The little peak folded like meringue on lemon meringue pies. That was very nice. She makes a darn fine cap. She knows I need the foam.
Here's to your coffee made right and the gumption to stay on your exercise plan.
: ) Pat
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
California's Newest MFT
Big Cheers of Congratulations!... To Heather!!!!!!
She passed the California state license test this afternoon for Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). The test is in two parts. She passed both parts! She is now got the green light for the next important step application for the license. She is a professional psychologist!
She can now open her own business.. (probably not right away) She has been studying for this moment for a long time. Every year this test gets harder. New questions are added every year.
The tests are taken on a computer in Fremont with people that are also taking professional exams for state licenses in private investigation and cosmetology and other state licensed areas of expertise. Heather reports that there was a huge amount of emotion both positive and negative after the tests were taken and graded directly by the computers.
Congratulations to Heather! Another professional in the family!
: ) : ) Pat and Sue
She passed the California state license test this afternoon for Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). The test is in two parts. She passed both parts! She is now got the green light for the next important step application for the license. She is a professional psychologist!
She can now open her own business.. (probably not right away) She has been studying for this moment for a long time. Every year this test gets harder. New questions are added every year.
The tests are taken on a computer in Fremont with people that are also taking professional exams for state licenses in private investigation and cosmetology and other state licensed areas of expertise. Heather reports that there was a huge amount of emotion both positive and negative after the tests were taken and graded directly by the computers.
Congratulations to Heather! Another professional in the family!
: ) : ) Pat and Sue
The future QVC host
If I only had the tools, look what I could do.
Yesterday I saw the emergence of a QVC host in my Costco. You always hate to go to some place like that around Christmas as the little kids are fret with bitter disappointment when they are denied hearts delight by their parents.
In our Costco the mini drama's still ensue after the Christmas season. In an row of merchandise from me the beginnings of a QVC host was getting her training from her father. A 5th grade girl with solid black hair and a freckle saddle over her nose had spotted an object of her desire. It was a book-combination with a project kit. Her dad a large man with a lumberjack beard,pushed the shopping cart with a younger child in it through the book section on his way to the business supply area of the store. She stopped him cold with a presentation:
"And with this, I could do this and this," she said as she showcased the item in her hand and swept over the prize with her other hand.
The father stopped and listened and watched. She pleaded and showed as we all know the "more value" of the item and continued to sell the prize. He listened and then turned away from her without response and continued walking with the cart down the row.
This is far from the disengaged students we often see in our schools. She needed the tools to do something. I am sure the father had seen the performance many times before. She may have had a closet full of the item of her Costco desire.
It could be the stage. At what age do kids become less outwardly engaged. Is there a way to keep the passion to "do something"?
Keep the passion.. Become the QVC host... it is what makes America great.... : } Pat
Yesterday I saw the emergence of a QVC host in my Costco. You always hate to go to some place like that around Christmas as the little kids are fret with bitter disappointment when they are denied hearts delight by their parents.
In our Costco the mini drama's still ensue after the Christmas season. In an row of merchandise from me the beginnings of a QVC host was getting her training from her father. A 5th grade girl with solid black hair and a freckle saddle over her nose had spotted an object of her desire. It was a book-combination with a project kit. Her dad a large man with a lumberjack beard,pushed the shopping cart with a younger child in it through the book section on his way to the business supply area of the store. She stopped him cold with a presentation:
"And with this, I could do this and this," she said as she showcased the item in her hand and swept over the prize with her other hand.
The father stopped and listened and watched. She pleaded and showed as we all know the "more value" of the item and continued to sell the prize. He listened and then turned away from her without response and continued walking with the cart down the row.
This is far from the disengaged students we often see in our schools. She needed the tools to do something. I am sure the father had seen the performance many times before. She may have had a closet full of the item of her Costco desire.
It could be the stage. At what age do kids become less outwardly engaged. Is there a way to keep the passion to "do something"?
Keep the passion.. Become the QVC host... it is what makes America great.... : } Pat
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Camera Snagging Broccoli
Dad was a little discouraged the last week. A beautiful little hand camera that he enjoyed with enormous pleasure was lost.
Last remembered in the throws of the costco book area, the camera was used to snap a photo of an interesting recipe in a cook book not yet purchased for mom. He felt that maybe he had snapped the photo and the wrist support had fallen off and it had dropped among the book piles in the store.
A complete search of the house was engaged, just to be sure. But no camera was found. In the mean time accusations of planned replacements and why some one could be so casual with one's camera ensued. He was indeed planning to get a new one to replace the one that he had lost. The costco explanation seemed to make sense.
Yesterday I got a call by cell phone that the broccoli plants in the backyard had scooped up his camera and it was hanging from an errant shoot.
Apparently he dropped it off his wrist or from his pocket when he was planting some eggplant starts in the shadow of the overheated broccoli headed for seed.
Last remembered in the throws of the costco book area, the camera was used to snap a photo of an interesting recipe in a cook book not yet purchased for mom. He felt that maybe he had snapped the photo and the wrist support had fallen off and it had dropped among the book piles in the store.
A complete search of the house was engaged, just to be sure. But no camera was found. In the mean time accusations of planned replacements and why some one could be so casual with one's camera ensued. He was indeed planning to get a new one to replace the one that he had lost. The costco explanation seemed to make sense.
Yesterday I got a call by cell phone that the broccoli plants in the backyard had scooped up his camera and it was hanging from an errant shoot.
Apparently he dropped it off his wrist or from his pocket when he was planting some eggplant starts in the shadow of the overheated broccoli headed for seed.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Flavor Supreme Pluots
The first fruit of the seaon was picked today. I tested the Flavor Supreme Pluots from my 5 in in one tree. The surface of the pluot is green and mottled but one bite reveals a very bright red,juicy, and sweet cross between a plum and an apricot. I convinced my skeptical neighbor that they were ripe. One bite and he was a convert.
Pluots are the future of the plum business in California. Some experts claim that in the future all plums will be pluots. This flavor supreme is definitely moving the industry in that direction. Apricots are less fragile than plums,yet having the sugar content in the fruit is highly desirable, Flavor Supreme Pluots are very sweet. See if you can find some at your local farmers market. You might have to shove savy fruit lovers away. I suspect that it will be another week or two for them to show up in the Santa Clara Valley or the northern central valley.
The peaches and the nectarines are looking good on the trees in my front yard. They are showing nice color but they won't be ready for tree ripe picking until the end of the month. I have had to get out the wooden splints to support the peach tree in front. The bark on one branch was splitting or more like shredding from the weight of fruit on its tiny limbs. Most of the peach and apricots in the front yard are genetic dwarfs. They still think (if a tree can think)that they have to put out as much as the full size trees. The big battle all spring and into the summer is to thin out the fruit so that it makes a decent size and doesn't do what the little Bonanza peach did, shred.
After the harvest I will do some significant pruning so that they will not over grow their sizes. I am happy with the size and shape of the pee zee nectarine and the pee zee peach. Both of these trees are only 4 and half feet tall and their energy is converted to spread instead of height.
I am looking for a great fruit season.
Love, Pat
Pluots are the future of the plum business in California. Some experts claim that in the future all plums will be pluots. This flavor supreme is definitely moving the industry in that direction. Apricots are less fragile than plums,yet having the sugar content in the fruit is highly desirable, Flavor Supreme Pluots are very sweet. See if you can find some at your local farmers market. You might have to shove savy fruit lovers away. I suspect that it will be another week or two for them to show up in the Santa Clara Valley or the northern central valley.
The peaches and the nectarines are looking good on the trees in my front yard. They are showing nice color but they won't be ready for tree ripe picking until the end of the month. I have had to get out the wooden splints to support the peach tree in front. The bark on one branch was splitting or more like shredding from the weight of fruit on its tiny limbs. Most of the peach and apricots in the front yard are genetic dwarfs. They still think (if a tree can think)that they have to put out as much as the full size trees. The big battle all spring and into the summer is to thin out the fruit so that it makes a decent size and doesn't do what the little Bonanza peach did, shred.
After the harvest I will do some significant pruning so that they will not over grow their sizes. I am happy with the size and shape of the pee zee nectarine and the pee zee peach. Both of these trees are only 4 and half feet tall and their energy is converted to spread instead of height.
I am looking for a great fruit season.
Love, Pat
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Once Again no Triple Crown
Big Brown, arguably the greatest chance for a triple crown came up short in the final leg of the triple crown today. He finished last as his jockey saved him when it looked like he was out of contention.
When it came down to the final stretch the jockey claimed he had no horse under him to make the push to the finish line. The Belmont, the final race of the triple crown has taken its toll on the contestants for many years. It is considerably longer than the other two races. This race also comes rather closely to the other legs of the series. It is why with the other two races it is so rare to have a horse win all of them.
There will be great speculation about this finish. There did not seem to be anything wrong with the horse. The temperature was a little warm however. The air temperature was around 93 degrees. I also imagine that the humidity was high.
This is an interesting sport to follow. There are a number of characters in this sport and many stories around the contestants and their families.
The trainers and the steroids issue also looms in this sport as well other major sports. Some horses take steroids on a regular basis and it is legal in most states where horse racing is legal. Big Brown, the favorite gets his every 15th of the month. He missed his last month. Could this be a factor in this race? Down the road will will hear the pros and cons of this practice as well.
It was announced that following this season steroids for the horses will be banned in the sport.
Hope you are having a great weekend.
: ) Pat
When it came down to the final stretch the jockey claimed he had no horse under him to make the push to the finish line. The Belmont, the final race of the triple crown has taken its toll on the contestants for many years. It is considerably longer than the other two races. This race also comes rather closely to the other legs of the series. It is why with the other two races it is so rare to have a horse win all of them.
There will be great speculation about this finish. There did not seem to be anything wrong with the horse. The temperature was a little warm however. The air temperature was around 93 degrees. I also imagine that the humidity was high.
This is an interesting sport to follow. There are a number of characters in this sport and many stories around the contestants and their families.
The trainers and the steroids issue also looms in this sport as well other major sports. Some horses take steroids on a regular basis and it is legal in most states where horse racing is legal. Big Brown, the favorite gets his every 15th of the month. He missed his last month. Could this be a factor in this race? Down the road will will hear the pros and cons of this practice as well.
It was announced that following this season steroids for the horses will be banned in the sport.
Hope you are having a great weekend.
: ) Pat
Driving the Pacheco
Isn't interesting that the folks from So Cal name their freeways the the article "the" in front of it. How does it look on the 15? The I5 is crowded this time of day.
The Pacheco was not crowded last night and it was a clear sail over the mountain and home to Merced. There was significant wind that could have caused some issues with graduation ceremonies.
We had been over to Morgan Hill to support my sister Mikie Sue. Mom cooked up a batch of wonderful chicken noodles with the mashed potatoes and frozen peas to go with. The crowd was grateful for the lemon bars and Zuke cake for dessert. It was sure great to the Cammie and my sisters and parents. Sue came along too and enjoyed the company.
We had a bite of Cmmmie's coconut pineapple cake too. Ohh La la.. we need the recipe for that gem. She made it in mini loaf pans, my it was good.
This morning I caught a short shot of semi homemade, a television show on cooking hosted by none other that Sara Lee. She was making short ribs in the crockpot on a bed of celery and carrots. Short ribs are not a common dinner selection at our house. So I walked over to the grocery store and bought a crock pot full of them. They ae now slow cooking away and should be ready by 5or 6 o'clock tonight. She browned them first and dropped them into a crockpot with a couple of stalks of celery and a package of mini prewashed carrots on the bottom. A box of beef stock went over the works.
They looked pretty marbled in the store and even on today's special they were 2.95 a pound.
We shall see.
Big Brown is set to run today. Quite a story if you read back a few posts. Today a 2 pm is the running to the Belmont. If Big Brown wins we will have the first triple crown winner since the 70's.
: ) Pat
The Pacheco was not crowded last night and it was a clear sail over the mountain and home to Merced. There was significant wind that could have caused some issues with graduation ceremonies.
We had been over to Morgan Hill to support my sister Mikie Sue. Mom cooked up a batch of wonderful chicken noodles with the mashed potatoes and frozen peas to go with. The crowd was grateful for the lemon bars and Zuke cake for dessert. It was sure great to the Cammie and my sisters and parents. Sue came along too and enjoyed the company.
We had a bite of Cmmmie's coconut pineapple cake too. Ohh La la.. we need the recipe for that gem. She made it in mini loaf pans, my it was good.
This morning I caught a short shot of semi homemade, a television show on cooking hosted by none other that Sara Lee. She was making short ribs in the crockpot on a bed of celery and carrots. Short ribs are not a common dinner selection at our house. So I walked over to the grocery store and bought a crock pot full of them. They ae now slow cooking away and should be ready by 5or 6 o'clock tonight. She browned them first and dropped them into a crockpot with a couple of stalks of celery and a package of mini prewashed carrots on the bottom. A box of beef stock went over the works.
They looked pretty marbled in the store and even on today's special they were 2.95 a pound.
We shall see.
Big Brown is set to run today. Quite a story if you read back a few posts. Today a 2 pm is the running to the Belmont. If Big Brown wins we will have the first triple crown winner since the 70's.
: ) Pat
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