Its a great day to get the pork shoulder roast agoing.
I have one on. I tossed in mild chili powder. It was browned on both sides stove top. Now is braising in a couple of cups of chicken broth in my aluminum roaster.
It think that when it is ready is served it with couscous and a little homemade apple sauce from the stove top.. My it does sound like fall doesn't it.
Love to all
Pat
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Cruise fuel charges
I just got an e-mail from Vactions to Go an online travel agent for cruise lines. We all know that the price of gas has gone down.. thank goodness. I suspect.. there is the cynic in me... just in time for elections. The cruise industry had imposed a fuel surcharge to recoop some of the cost of the fuel increases. Now that it is down.. this industry is not taking any chances. Here is what is going on... hmmmmmm
The steep drop in the price of fuel has prompted most major cruise lines to make changes to their highly unpopular fuel surcharges. The new policies are convoluted, but I'll do my best to explain them.
Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, P&O, Princess and Seabourn have eliminated fuel surcharges for new bookings for 2010 departures, effective immediately.
The situation is considerably less cut-and-dried for 2008 and 2009 departures.
If the price of light sweet crude oil is $70 per barrel or less according to the New York Mercantile Exchange Index (NYMEX) at the 2:30 p.m. close of business on 25 consecutive trading days, ending five trading days prior to a cruise departure, fuel supplements paid by passengers on that sailing will be refunded in the form of onboard credits.
In other words, the price of oil must remain at $70 or less per barrel for 25 trading days in a row until five trading days before your cruise in order for you to receive that shipboard credit. Passengers who booked a 2010 cruise on these lines before October 31, 2008 will be charged a fuel supplement, but they will also be eligible for onboard credit under the same fuel price conditions applied to 2008 and 2009 departures.
Fortunately, this process will be automatic--passengers will not need to apply for the onboard credit or try to track the price of oil themselves. However, Carnival Corp., which owns and operates these cruise lines, has raised prices on all 2010 cruises to reflect the fact that even at $70 per barrel the price of fuel is significantly higher than in the past.
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Azamara and Norwegian will not apply fuel surcharges to bookings made on or after November 10, 2008 for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2010. Fuel surcharges still apply to 2008 departures. For 2009 sailings, and for 2010 sailings booked before November 10, 2008, these lines may refund fuel surcharges as onboard credits. Refunds will be determined on a quarterly basis: If the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel is $65 or less at the close of the NYMEX, two weeks prior to the beginning of an upcoming calendar quarter, then onboard credits will be provided to all passengers on sailings that depart during that calendar quarter.
Still with me? Here's how it breaks down:
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on December 18, 2008, passengers departing between January 1 and March 31, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on March 18, 2009, passengers departing between April 1 and June 30, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on June 17, 2009, passengers departing between July 1 and September 30, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on September 17, 2009, passengers departing between October 1 and December 31, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
The same timeline and conditions apply to 2010 sailings booked prior to November 10, 2008. Again, the shipboard credits will be automatically provided.
The steep drop in the price of fuel has prompted most major cruise lines to make changes to their highly unpopular fuel surcharges. The new policies are convoluted, but I'll do my best to explain them.
Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, P&O, Princess and Seabourn have eliminated fuel surcharges for new bookings for 2010 departures, effective immediately.
The situation is considerably less cut-and-dried for 2008 and 2009 departures.
If the price of light sweet crude oil is $70 per barrel or less according to the New York Mercantile Exchange Index (NYMEX) at the 2:30 p.m. close of business on 25 consecutive trading days, ending five trading days prior to a cruise departure, fuel supplements paid by passengers on that sailing will be refunded in the form of onboard credits.
In other words, the price of oil must remain at $70 or less per barrel for 25 trading days in a row until five trading days before your cruise in order for you to receive that shipboard credit. Passengers who booked a 2010 cruise on these lines before October 31, 2008 will be charged a fuel supplement, but they will also be eligible for onboard credit under the same fuel price conditions applied to 2008 and 2009 departures.
Fortunately, this process will be automatic--passengers will not need to apply for the onboard credit or try to track the price of oil themselves. However, Carnival Corp., which owns and operates these cruise lines, has raised prices on all 2010 cruises to reflect the fact that even at $70 per barrel the price of fuel is significantly higher than in the past.
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Azamara and Norwegian will not apply fuel surcharges to bookings made on or after November 10, 2008 for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2010. Fuel surcharges still apply to 2008 departures. For 2009 sailings, and for 2010 sailings booked before November 10, 2008, these lines may refund fuel surcharges as onboard credits. Refunds will be determined on a quarterly basis: If the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel is $65 or less at the close of the NYMEX, two weeks prior to the beginning of an upcoming calendar quarter, then onboard credits will be provided to all passengers on sailings that depart during that calendar quarter.
Still with me? Here's how it breaks down:
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on December 18, 2008, passengers departing between January 1 and March 31, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on March 18, 2009, passengers departing between April 1 and June 30, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on June 17, 2009, passengers departing between July 1 and September 30, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
If the price per barrel is $65 or less on September 17, 2009, passengers departing between October 1 and December 31, 2009 will receive onboard credit.
The same timeline and conditions apply to 2010 sailings booked prior to November 10, 2008. Again, the shipboard credits will be automatically provided.
Saturday with the Rents
Staving off a most certain visit from the parents... Sue and I reversed trend and ware and tear on them and made the trip to the big Morgan on the other side of the pass. We took the collected group off to the Home Town Buffet. The Gilroy HTB is smaller than the Merced one. The Merced one is a converted Bank of America Branch.. that was first converted to a Chuck E Cheese.. and now a Home Town Buffet.
We had a great time. The Brownie Korbels joined us and everyone had a chance to eat what they wanted to eat. Dad relayed the day they were eating there and the field works came in mass to eat. 150 of them came in out of the rain, filled their plates to the brim and politely ate their food. This was quite a scene in this upscale community.
Dad had finished framing some of the summer watercolors that I had painted. Several were made from the fishing series. Mom had a gift for Sue's birthday that was burning a hole in her pocket. She had some new towels that go with the new gold bathroom that we have. Sue was very pleased. She loves linens.
For moom's birthday, we had a happy green witch to add to her collection.
I made a birthday cake.. Lady Baltimore from scratch. Cream cheese frosting festooned its top. I tried something new. I layered a slather of plum nectarine jam between the layers. I think that it added another flavor to it. A Lady Baltimore cake is a pretty dense cake. It requires 5 egg whites. Homemade cakes do not have the lift that packaged cakes have. But the flavor.. oh my I really the love the flavor of homemade cakes over mixes... and no transfats.
It rained on the way back from Morgan Hill. There was also a little fog on the top of the hill. Just a little reminder that fall is on its way.
Have a great Sunday
Pat
We had a great time. The Brownie Korbels joined us and everyone had a chance to eat what they wanted to eat. Dad relayed the day they were eating there and the field works came in mass to eat. 150 of them came in out of the rain, filled their plates to the brim and politely ate their food. This was quite a scene in this upscale community.
Dad had finished framing some of the summer watercolors that I had painted. Several were made from the fishing series. Mom had a gift for Sue's birthday that was burning a hole in her pocket. She had some new towels that go with the new gold bathroom that we have. Sue was very pleased. She loves linens.
For moom's birthday, we had a happy green witch to add to her collection.
I made a birthday cake.. Lady Baltimore from scratch. Cream cheese frosting festooned its top. I tried something new. I layered a slather of plum nectarine jam between the layers. I think that it added another flavor to it. A Lady Baltimore cake is a pretty dense cake. It requires 5 egg whites. Homemade cakes do not have the lift that packaged cakes have. But the flavor.. oh my I really the love the flavor of homemade cakes over mixes... and no transfats.
It rained on the way back from Morgan Hill. There was also a little fog on the top of the hill. Just a little reminder that fall is on its way.
Have a great Sunday
Pat
Friday, November 7, 2008
What to say!
Today my classes were learning what to say when you go to a wedding and you come to the bride and groom in the receiving line.
1) Most had trouble with eye contact
2) Many forgot their lines or jumbled them together
So we talked about saying "Congratulations, thank you for inviting me to the wedding."
I had a couple of adults that are coming in with their hand helds (students that need in class supervision.. or at least some supervision from one room to the next. They helped me "coach" the lines and encourage participation.
It was a good lesson.. and I had an administrative walk through in the middle of one of the classes. She left telling the students that they must enjoy their class (mine) because of all of the good work they were doing. I identified her to the class and told them that she was an administrator. None of my students could say what an administrator does.. so they were not threatened in the least.
We are into the dog days of November.. if there is such a thing. Progress reports (Ds and Fs) have to be into the registrar by Wednesday.. No one in my classes are headed for one except the kid who is never there.
I will never forget the day that I got a "cinch" notice from my biology teacher, Mr, Mezzeta, in high school. I was out with mono and be adninistered an F notice. I think I also got one in graphic arts.. not enough projects turned in.. we had a dark room at home and so I cranked out a few "alternative" projects. I graduated from high school without an F but also without a semester A as well.
Everyone is looking forward to Tuesday being off and a pretty light Monday due to Veterns Day.
Have a great evening.
: ) Pat
1) Most had trouble with eye contact
2) Many forgot their lines or jumbled them together
So we talked about saying "Congratulations, thank you for inviting me to the wedding."
I had a couple of adults that are coming in with their hand helds (students that need in class supervision.. or at least some supervision from one room to the next. They helped me "coach" the lines and encourage participation.
It was a good lesson.. and I had an administrative walk through in the middle of one of the classes. She left telling the students that they must enjoy their class (mine) because of all of the good work they were doing. I identified her to the class and told them that she was an administrator. None of my students could say what an administrator does.. so they were not threatened in the least.
We are into the dog days of November.. if there is such a thing. Progress reports (Ds and Fs) have to be into the registrar by Wednesday.. No one in my classes are headed for one except the kid who is never there.
I will never forget the day that I got a "cinch" notice from my biology teacher, Mr, Mezzeta, in high school. I was out with mono and be adninistered an F notice. I think I also got one in graphic arts.. not enough projects turned in.. we had a dark room at home and so I cranked out a few "alternative" projects. I graduated from high school without an F but also without a semester A as well.
Everyone is looking forward to Tuesday being off and a pretty light Monday due to Veterns Day.
Have a great evening.
: ) Pat
Thursday, November 6, 2008
pomegranate Day in Speech
Last night I check out my pomegranate bush in the front yard. As expected, they had started to split. This is a sure sign that they are ripe. I think that the rain and the really cool weather matured the fruit to this stage. If you don't pick them at this stage they tend to mold and you have lost the crop. This year I have 14 of them. Most of them are the size of softballs.
So in the spirit of my own curriculum, I chopped up about 8 of them and took them to school.
Pomegranates on the school carpet is almost problematic. The juice is a beautiful red but you certainly don't want it coloring your carpet or your clothes. All of my students were very careful in eating this fall delight.
Many of the students have never had them before. Their natural interest bouyed their spirits to try.
I bought to school a roll of paper towels and a steak knife to seperate the skin. Underneath the tough skin, is a series of honey comb like structures with wonderful sweet sour fruit.
I hope that next year my little bush will produce enough for my classes again.
: ) Pat
So in the spirit of my own curriculum, I chopped up about 8 of them and took them to school.
Pomegranates on the school carpet is almost problematic. The juice is a beautiful red but you certainly don't want it coloring your carpet or your clothes. All of my students were very careful in eating this fall delight.
Many of the students have never had them before. Their natural interest bouyed their spirits to try.
I bought to school a roll of paper towels and a steak knife to seperate the skin. Underneath the tough skin, is a series of honey comb like structures with wonderful sweet sour fruit.
I hope that next year my little bush will produce enough for my classes again.
: ) Pat
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Obama Wins Heather Loses : (
Obama won with a landslide tonight.
Heather gave an extra 30 bucks to the campaign on Saturday for a chance to be flown to Chicago and meet the next president backstage.
She did not win. I do believe that she is in line for an Obama tee shirt for her efforts however.
I have met many people my age that are skeptical of turning the reins of government over to a crowd so young. The fist ppumping crowd that seems more interested in many of the things that we older folks don't get. But you get it because you are reading this blog! Don't try to hide your smug smile..
Very few of my cohorts blog or read blogs. Many do not get "text" messaging. They don't understand why anyone needs 700 TV stations when good old ABC CBS and NBC works for them. Sadly many of them missed the wonderful graphic look and the op ed work of CNN's staff.
They even holographized (not sure its a word) a reporter in Chicago to be in the studio with the team while the New York based reporter, Wolf asked her questions in real time without a whole lot of interference.
It was a historic night. We both voted absentee. So the presence of waiting in line for a chance to cast our ballots was not required. From the reports of precincts many people had to have an iron will to cast their ballot.
Personally I was disappointed in seeing any state go to Mc Cain. Don't they get it?
A big thank you goes out to Heather's friend Michael the San Francisco native who lived in the Farmington New Mexico to donate a month of time to the Obama campaign. I heard from Heather that there were some dozzies in the tales he tells of going door to door in New Mexico. I was very happy to see that New Mexico went Blue.. yeah!
I hope you had a good election night.
: ) Pat
Heather gave an extra 30 bucks to the campaign on Saturday for a chance to be flown to Chicago and meet the next president backstage.
She did not win. I do believe that she is in line for an Obama tee shirt for her efforts however.
I have met many people my age that are skeptical of turning the reins of government over to a crowd so young. The fist ppumping crowd that seems more interested in many of the things that we older folks don't get. But you get it because you are reading this blog! Don't try to hide your smug smile..
Very few of my cohorts blog or read blogs. Many do not get "text" messaging. They don't understand why anyone needs 700 TV stations when good old ABC CBS and NBC works for them. Sadly many of them missed the wonderful graphic look and the op ed work of CNN's staff.
They even holographized (not sure its a word) a reporter in Chicago to be in the studio with the team while the New York based reporter, Wolf asked her questions in real time without a whole lot of interference.
It was a historic night. We both voted absentee. So the presence of waiting in line for a chance to cast our ballots was not required. From the reports of precincts many people had to have an iron will to cast their ballot.
Personally I was disappointed in seeing any state go to Mc Cain. Don't they get it?
A big thank you goes out to Heather's friend Michael the San Francisco native who lived in the Farmington New Mexico to donate a month of time to the Obama campaign. I heard from Heather that there were some dozzies in the tales he tells of going door to door in New Mexico. I was very happy to see that New Mexico went Blue.. yeah!
I hope you had a good election night.
: ) Pat
9 New pages and growing
The El Camino class of 68 40th reunion has grown 9 new pages over the weekend and Monday. Thanks to the work of Rose, and the others that have sent in (via electronic means) all the photos.. it is pretty spectacular. Despite the spread there are still people that attended the reunion that didn't get the photo included. I am still using Go-Live in the grid mode to move photos on and off and to get alignment. Adobe has abandoned this product in favor of Dreamweaver. That means that eventually I will have another learning curve with another product for web production.
I have discovered in photoshop the best solution to the dreaded red eye. There is a color replacement brush. When this is set to black,the user can swish out the red. Sometimes the issue is the luminosity. This happens when the photo has a white glow in the pupils. Truly these people are not aliens, they are just caught by the reflection of the flash. There is a setting for luminosity too.
Last weekend we had a very nice visit with our daughters. We all are going cruising on president's week. NCL is leaving the 14th of February and we are going to be on it. Check with Linzi for details or look it up with your discount on line travel agent.
Tonight's the night of the election returns. Expect to hear and see a lot of space mission talk. This is the time the commentators earn their money. They have to keep the patter going and interesting while serious information develops. I hope that the Obama win will be decisive and over before the western states come into play.. Then what will they say?
On the other hand.. sometimes even the exit polls cannot be trusted.
Join with me tonight and be a political junkie..
Pat
I have discovered in photoshop the best solution to the dreaded red eye. There is a color replacement brush. When this is set to black,the user can swish out the red. Sometimes the issue is the luminosity. This happens when the photo has a white glow in the pupils. Truly these people are not aliens, they are just caught by the reflection of the flash. There is a setting for luminosity too.
Last weekend we had a very nice visit with our daughters. We all are going cruising on president's week. NCL is leaving the 14th of February and we are going to be on it. Check with Linzi for details or look it up with your discount on line travel agent.
Tonight's the night of the election returns. Expect to hear and see a lot of space mission talk. This is the time the commentators earn their money. They have to keep the patter going and interesting while serious information develops. I hope that the Obama win will be decisive and over before the western states come into play.. Then what will they say?
On the other hand.. sometimes even the exit polls cannot be trusted.
Join with me tonight and be a political junkie..
Pat
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