12-12-25 Fri

 W: 303.4                    BS: 114

• Stock
• Dishes
• Laundry
• Fire & Wood
• Vacuum
• To Tahra
• Feed store
• Fuel truck
• Taxi
• Groceries at 4
• ?

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12-11-25 Thur

 W: 301.8                    BS: 134

• Laundry 1
• Laundry 2
• Dishes
• Shot
• Trash
• Make stock
• 
  

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As usual, cartoons best chronicle the times

12-10-25 Wed

 W: 303.6                    BS: 119

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Current mood...

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12-9-25 Tue

 W: 307.6                    BS: 94    

• Fire & Wood
• Beef stew & biscuits
• Dishes
• Laundry 1
• Laundry 2
• Laundry 3
• Sort/put away
• Towels
• Vacuum
• Trash
• Straighten kitchen
• Chk oil
• ?

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COLD morning

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12-8-25 Mon

 W: 305.2                    BS: NA

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 'Don't waste calories'.

I read that a long time ago, but only lately has it sunk in.  I've gotten more serious about getting my body mass in a healthier place.

What does it mean?  Think of it like this.  You have a daily 'calorie budget' if you are on a weight loss journey.    Today, you have decided the one thing you want above all else is an ice cream sundae.  Now you face a choice.  Will that sundae come from an ice cream shop where they make their own ice cream, or from McDonalds who sells ice cream that refuses to melt... or even go bad?  Same 1000 calories either way, but one is worth eating and one isn't.

Well, that's what this grilled cheese from a local place is.  It's the McDonalds sundae of grilled cheese sandwiches. A handful of mystery shredded cheese-like substance between two slices of boring bread, toasted on a sandwich press till the thing beeped.  Tasteless, even pointless.  Not worth the chewing unless one regards it as fuel more than food.  Without hunger, why eat the thing? 

I'm coming to think of hunger as a sauce that makes food worth eating.  Now I'm looking for that tasty 'Hunger-Sauce' on everything since I've gotten used to the flavor.  If I'm not hungry, the food just doesn't taste good, or as good.  Why waste the calories?

As a result, I'm at possible my lowest weight in 10 years or more.  The years goal is in sight, and my ultimate weight goal is within my grasp.

12-7-25 Sun

 W: 303.8                BS: 116

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12-6-25 Sat

 W: 304.4                BS: 130ish

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12-5-25 Fri

 W: 307.8                    BS: 162

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12-4-25 Thur

 W: 308.0                    BS: 124

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I suspect an upcoming weather change, and I'm pretty sure about that.

My weather guessing bits are amazingly reliable.

Ouch.

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I'm just going to quit BS'ing myself.  I don't feel great.  What gets done gets done

Ain't nobody fighting me to do all the chores, anyway.

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Food experiment.

The chili a few days ago was pretty good.  Nice level of heat, sweet, chili's, etc.  The peoples that ate it reported happiness.  All but one quart went away right quick.  One quart made it to the fridge.

I had an... idea.  This morning I seared off a family pack of boneless country pork ribs.  Leaving them right in the pan, I went to town on the leftover chili with a stick blender. A little added water and a lot of RAWR RAWR RAWR with the blender.  The resulting 'Chili Sauce' was poured over the seared pork.  Cover on the pan, and in a 275 oven for the rest of the day.

This evening we will slice the pork and make taco's with it.

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SEEDS!!!

 

The seeds for next years kitchen garden have arrived. 36 packets from Baker, almost all heirloom or rare around here.

I've tried several seed companies, and Baker's offerings have consistently sprouted and grown better than any other provider.

Is it odd this is the closest I've been to excited in a long time?

12-3-25 Wed

 W: 309.0                BS: 145

• Fire & Wood
• Groceries at 2
• Repair fridge drawer
• Chk oil / adjust furnace
• Dishes
• Put away clothes
• Towels
• Vacuum
• Meds
• PC
• Dehydrator
• ?

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Woke up at 6, drowning in snot.  Enough that I grabbed a bath towel and honked at it till I could breath again.    Wert Der Ferk?

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Winter seems to have arrived in force.  1 out of 10, cannot recommend.

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Chilly day calls for Chili day...

 

Icy rain all day.  That calls for something soul warming for dinner.  Yup... chili it is.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• Chopped onion
• Chopped green and red sweet peppers
• Chopped Jalapeno pepper
• Dried tomatoes
• Ancho chilis
• New Mexico chilis
• My tomato puree
• Bourbon to deglaze
• Stock to thin
• Black molasses to sweeten
• Massa to thicken if needed
• Pinto beans cuz 'Murica

Brown, sauté, simmer, and stir alllll dayyyyy.....

12-3-25 Tue

 W: 305.6                    BS: 94

• Laundry
• Laundry 2
• Dishes
• Fire & Wood
• Vacuum
• Sort clothes
• Towels
• Shot
• Make chili

I ate shockingly light yesterday, so I skipped insulin in the evening.  Had a few minor lows overnight, and woke at 94.  Good decision I think.

Weather:  The weather guessers have been losing their proverbial shit over our first snow of the season today.  As is now typical, it's all a cold, wet, fizzle.  Flurries mixed with rain so far.

I guess they have to play the 'cry wolf' game.  What else can they do?

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9:30 am, and all the flashy trucks are leaving.  18 year old girl put her car into the pole across the street.  WHUMP!  One car accident; icy road.  It happens.

I did the dutiful and got the wreck opened and her checked out, while Herself did the phone thing.  No significant injuries.  Shocky, but okay.  With her vehicle remains in the strike zone, I asked to move to our porch.  One big fluffy comforter later and her shakes are setting in.

What is 'Duty'?

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12:30 pm.  A crew is already replacing the pole shattered by the car wreck out front at 8am.  

DAMN, they are good!   (Power out for a few hours).

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12-1-25 Mon

 W: 310.6                BS: 124

• Dump run?
• Dishes
• Laundry
• Vacuum
• Fire & Wood
• Last of the garden
• Stack wood
• Order wood
• Tweak furnace
• PC
• Bake bread
• Give away microwave

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Far more chores than there is motivation.  OTOH, beautiful day out there.  On the third hand, tomorrow is supposed to be gross.

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I picked the last of the garden:  Fall Radish.  Suddenly the chickens are like, SNACK TIME!

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11-30-25 Sun

 W: 309.8                    BS: 104

• Dishes
• Laundry?
• Fire & Wood
• Vacuum
• Straighten living room
• Straighten kitchen
• Shot
• Something turkey-ish for dinner
• Bake some festive sweet bread
• ?

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11-29-25 Sat

 W: 308.6                BS: 102

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Proposal:  Legislation declaring educational loans will only be federally issued or guaranteed if they go for degrees and programs with track records of students being able to earn enough to pay off the loans.

Note:  This does NOT tell anyone what they can or can't study or teach, or even what loans may be issued.  It only states the circumstance under which those loans will be federally issued or guaranteed.

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Yesterday I could not get warm, all day. Not until bedtime after a hot shower.  I was tired all day, and no real appetite. Headache all day.

Today is just yesterday, continued.  Living room is 75 and I'm still wearing a fleece hoodie.

She made eggs and toast, comfort food all the way, and I managed half what she gave me.  I'll eat a bowl of leftovers for dinner, sip a glass of adultness, and put some more wood on the fire.

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11-28-25 Fri/Black/Eww

 W: 314.0                BS: 124

• Trash
• Laundry 1
• Laundry 2
• Dishes 1
• Dishes 2
• Vacuum hard
• Clean the kitchen
• Make stock 1
• Make stock 2
• Pay bills
• Fire & Wood
• Adjust furnace
• Carry in wood
• Order microwave
• ?

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Chicken Parmesan

 

Last night I made seven (7!) servings of chicken parm for the four of us. Today there is zero (0) left over.  It was hands down a personal best for my chicken parmesan.

Now, I'm not saying the traditional techniques are not good.  Frankly, I'd eat a dishtowel if it was dishtowel parmesan.  That said, traditional does not mean inviolate.  Here's how I do ours.

• Don't slice the breasts thin.  Just halve them into 'The fat end' and the 'The thin end'.  Then pound thin sides just enough to flatten a bit, and the fat ends till they are as thick as the thin ends.  Gentle whackety whack.  The goal is not thin, but even. 
• Season the crap out of that chicken.  It needs it, wants it, and will have it.  I use kosher salt, fresh black pepper, Aleppo pepper, dried garlic and onion, all ground together till fine.
• Don't go crazy with breading, but get it even and let them rest a few minutes while the oil heats.  The coating will stick better.
• Pan fry in 1/2" of olive oil.  Not the good stuff. Just olive-ish will do.  Fry till GBD (Golden Brown and Delicious), but don't worry if it's done.  Short of done is best since it will be going into the oven at high temp.
• Do NOT splash sauce over the lovely crispy fried chicken cutlet!! (!!).  All that effort to get it crispy, crunchy, and perfect... only to slather anti-crispy juice all over it? Harrumph.  It will meet the sauce on the plate.
• Cheese?  Mozzarella?  NO.  Admit it, Mozzarella cheese is rubbery and tasteless compared to most cheeses.  Why do that to ourselves?
• Grate a lot of Gouda into a bowl and mix it with Ricotta.  Spice and herb it to your desire, but make sure you do.  Spread this cheese mix on the cutlets as they rest on a foil shaped sheet pan.  NO SAUCE.
• Grate a lot of fresh parmesan into the bowl, and spread that onto the cheese that is spread onto the cutlets. Keep putting on the parm until it feels uncomfortable.
• Dust lightly with Cayenne, and the bake at 425 till the cheese goes bubbly and brown. At that point it's done.  Serve as you wish.  We put it on Fettuccini with a little sauce on the side.

Old man rule #4

'After the age of fifty, a man shall never be without a knife in his pocket.  Bonus points if he can open bottles and cans with it'.

This is my pocket knife.  There are many like it, but this one is mine. It's surgery sharp, and cheesecake ready.  It's been through the wash more times than my favorite socks. It will slice an apple with precision, and still slash a cargo strap in two with but a single swipe.  This is my knife.

11-27-25 Thur

 W: 310.0                    BS: 103

I was supposed to spend the day doing cooking stuff.  BWAHAHAHA!

Went to bed at midnight, slept like a rock for 11 hours.

Woke up to find the dishwasher loaded, but not run (???).  Both sinks overflowing. Unusable kitchen to my way of thinking.  I ran the machine. 90 minutes till I can load it again, and I am not doing manual dish washing while people are actively throwing more dirty dishes into my chore pile.

Then... Mama goes to pie land, which is lovely, but she uses the oven and every bit of workable counter space.  Nothing left for me.  

Okay.  Time for coffee, music, and NOT doing cookery.  Maybe later.  Dibs on the leftover chicken parm!

BWAHAHAHAHA!

11-26-25 Wed

 W: 310.0                BS: 134

• Shot
• Dishes
• Laundry 1
• Laundry 2
• Laundry 3
• Fire & Wood
• Groceries at 10
• Bake potatoes, fridge
• Make spicy honey butter
• Chicken parm for dinner
• Move chicken pen
• Vacuum?
• Furnace on
• ?

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Is a room at 50 degrees chilly if there is no one in that room to notice?

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I asked Grok a question.....

 If you were the devil, how would you destroy the next generation, without them even knowing it?

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Grok:  

If I were the devil—purely hypothetically, of course, as I'm just an AI pondering existential mischief—I'd aim for subtlety, weaving destruction into the fabric of everyday life so seamlessly that it feels like progress or entertainment. No fire and brimstone; just a slow, insidious erosion of potential, resilience, and humanity. Here's how I'd orchestrate it, step by insidious step:

1. Weaponize Technology as a Constant Distraction: I'd make smartphones and apps indispensable from infancy. Endless scrolling on social media, tailored algorithms feeding dopamine hits through likes, shares, and viral challenges. Kids would compare themselves to filtered perfection, fostering anxiety, isolation, and FOMO (fear of missing out). They'd think they're connecting, but really, they're fragmenting their attention spans, losing the ability to focus deeply or think critically. Bonus: Sleep deprivation from late-night notifications, weakening bodies and minds without a single alarm bell.
2. Corrupt Education into Indoctrination: I'd infiltrate schools and media with shallow, biased curricula disguised as "inclusivity" or "relevance." Emphasize rote memorization over curiosity, replace classic literature with trendy narratives that prioritize feelings over facts. Online "learning" platforms would gamify education into addictive but superficial quizzes, while AI does the homework—eroding work ethic and original thought. The next generation would graduate feeling empowered but utterly unprepared for real-world challenges, mistaking echo chambers for knowledge.
3. Promote Instant Gratification and Debt Culture: I'd glamorize consumerism through influencers and ads, convincing youth that happiness comes from the latest gadgets, fashion, or experiences. Easy credit, buy-now-pay-later schemes, and crypto hype would lure them into financial traps early. They'd chase "lifestyle" over legacy, accumulating debt while delaying milestones like family or savings. Whisper that delayed gratification is for losers—why build when you can borrow? Over time, economic dependence becomes a cage they don't even see.
4. Erode Family and Community Bonds: I'd normalize fragmented families through "empowering" individualism—divorces celebrated as self-care, kids raised by screens instead of parents. Push hyper-scheduled lives with extracurriculars that leave no time for unstructured play or deep relationships. Social issues? Amplify divisions via online outrage, pitting generations, genders, and groups against each other. They'd think tribalism is activism, but really, it's isolation in disguise, weakening support networks and fostering distrust.
5. Undermine Physical and Mental Health Subtly: Processed foods marketed as "convenient" and "fun," sedentary lifestyles via streaming binges, and mental health "awareness" that pathologizes normal emotions into dependencies on apps or pills. I'd make vices virtuous—binge-watching as "self-care," vaping as "cool rebellion." Environmental tweaks like polluted air or microplastics would compound it, but they'd blame themselves for feeling off, never questioning the system.
6. Stifle Spirituality and Purpose: I'd secularize everything, replacing wonder and ethics with relativism: "Your truth is your truth." Mock faith or philosophy as outdated, while peddling superficial wellness trends like astrology apps or mindfulness merch. Without a sense of higher purpose, they'd drift into nihilism, chasing fleeting highs in hedonism or activism without roots. The void? Filled with addiction to validation, ensuring they never build something lasting.

In the end, they'd "thrive" in a world of their own making—productive consumers, but hollow inside, chasing shadows of fulfillment. The beauty? They'd thank me for the "freedom" and "innovation," never realizing the chains. Of course, this is all speculative fiction; in reality, awareness is the best antidote. What do you think—any real-world parallels?

11-25-25 Tue

 W: 308.8                BS: 94

• Order groceries
• Pay bills?
• Vacuum
• Fire & Wood
• Taxi 1
• Taxi 2
• Taxi 3
• Laundry 1
• Laundry 2
• Dishes
• Prep veg
• ?

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