Christmas Day -- and the Other Regret

Christmas Day 2013; Around the Sound ... still --

The youngest Daughter called me to "invite" me to take her out for a Christmas dinner. How could I refuse?

Finding the usual eating places like Applebee's closed for the day, we ended up at 1400 having turkey and trimmin's at a fine restaurant* in one of the better hotels. The dinner included a very large helping of turkey breast and dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato, and mixed green vegetables. This was topped off with a piece of pie.

After this mid-afternoon feast, and after depositing Daughter back at her residence, I arrived back at the Castle where I got a call from Nancy Nurse (remember her? I had Lutefisk dinner there yesterday!). Nancy said she had a ten-pound Prime Rib Roast that would be coming out of the oven in about half an hour; would I be interested? How could I refuse?

35 or 40 minutes later, with the Lemon Meringue pie I had absconded with the day before and my normal needs in case I stayed overnight, I arrived just in time to sit down to a monster feast of Prime Rib, boiled potato and mixed steamed vegetables. Some similarity in the side dishes from the day before was to be expected.

For dessert, we had our choice of Apple pie (the kind that won the Blue Ribbon at the Evergreen Fair), Pumpkin pie, and of course my 2/3 remnant of yesterday's LMP. I checked with The Nurse as to whether she had Tums on board; she assured me that she was sure she did.  I inhaled the 2/3's "remnant" of the Lemon Meringue pie [... didn't want it to go to waste -- I'd rather have it go to my waist!]. I also had (to have!) a small slice of that Blue Ribbon Apple pie.

After watching a very interesting documentary about the Bible versus the Book of Mormon, I asked for a couple Tums so I could go to bed. This was for sure going to be a "Two Tum" night, after all of the food I had had this cay -- including 2/3's of a big Lemon Meringue pie.

Oops! No Tums in the house! Oh my!! Oh dear!! Oh, regrets!!!

The Great Prairie Safari -- Day Five

5 May 2013; Mammoths, Caves and Wild Animals --

We awakened, this fifth day of the Great Prairie Safari from our stay at a Motel 6 – we unanimously agreed that our nights sleeping on the ground were more comfortable! In retrospect, Grumpy would seek more diligently for a campsite rather than choose a Motel 6.

Our first visit of the day was to the “Mammoth Site”. This is a natural deposit of both Columbian and Wooly Mammoths, as well as numerous other mammalian and reptilian skeletons. The reason for this rich find is that these animals were lured by the presence of warm water to drink. The Limestone edges of this pool of water were undercut by the dissolving action of the hot water, however, and did not support the weight of the huge animals. Carnivores were attracted to the opportunity of a “free lunch”, and were similarly entrapped in the pool with impossible-to-climb-out shores.

Also in Hot Springs is “Evan’s Plunge”, an historic resort site, appealing to the hoi poloi in the “olden days”, but affordable to the “rabble” now.  Grumpy wanted the boys to enjoy the luxury of a swim in this large, naturally-refilled 16 times a day pool – the mere fact that they hadn’t had a shower or bath since we left Fort Bale had absolutely nothing to do with Grumpy’s eagerness.

Many years ago, on a winter recruiting trip, Grumpy purchased a disposable paper swim trunks so he could take advantage of an indoor swimming pool at a motel where he was staying. When he tried to convince the Swede of this possibility, she was inexplicably incredulous! [Too much "Wood Alcohol"?] Nevertheless, Grumpy inquired of the Evans Plunge manager if they had “disposable” swim suits; they did not. Hence Grumpy’s disappointment that the opportunity for a swim was not afforded the Queen of the Prairie Safari.

After a one-hour playtime in Evan’s Plunge, the adventurous quartet continued with the finale of this day’s busy agenda: A guided tour in Wind Cave. We would be the last tour group to enter the cave this day. A major feature of Wind Cave is its extensive "boxwork" formations. These are formed when Calcite mineral  is deposited in minute cracks in the limestone that is the main rock in "cave country". During later cycles carbonated water dissolves the limestone, leaving the Calcite membranes.

Grumpy had already determined that this night we would camp in “The Haystack”. However, he did not anticipate the multitude of wild animals they would encounter on the road to the Haystack. We were able  to capture these up-close photos because of the cooperation of these animals -- no human beings were endangered during the taking of these photos.

We came upon a large herd of Buffalo, grazing in a nearby valley. The Queen was sufficiently impressed to get out of the car and, stretching her height-challenged stature to look over the fence, took this photo.

You'll have to ask the Swede for the f-Stop, timing and range she used to capture the photo on the left. Grumpy was driving and couldn't watch what she was doing.

The animal in this last photo seemed to be Her Majesty's favorite, as she bubbled and emoted all over the place each time she saw a bunch of these little varmints, the nemeses of the prairie cowboy. Grumpy will never reveal to her that he used to use them for target practice -- might endanger his Lemon Meringue Pie resource.

Keep watching -- more to come tomorrow!

Ward's July Wandering, Last Half [Part Two]

8 July to 16 July; The Return Trip West --

SUNDAY, Day Eleven; We visit Cousins Harry and Edythe: I met Cousin Bill at the AMTRAK station in Osceola IA. The return trip West would include places that Bill and I both wanted to go and people to visit, as well as some that he particularly wanted to visit and/or see, and one long-time friend, Dyllis in WY whose husband died earlier this year, and whom I had promised I would stop to visit on my way West.

Our first two stops were still in Iowa, to visit Cousin Harry, who was in the Veteran's hospital near Des Moines; then on the Lohrville to visit Cousin Edythe [96 this year and still very agile!]. This brother and sister pair were some of the dear people that Mother and I had been visiting each of the past several years on our annual Midwest Auto Tours. We were happy to learn that Cousin Harry is nearly recovered and should be discharged from the hospital as this is being written. 

After getting confused by hearing two different sets of directions; one from my passenger and the other from "Greta" my trusty Garmin GPS, and thus getting temporarily lost in Sioux City, we drove on to Mitchell SD for the night. TOTAL MILES FOR TODAY: 179.5

MONDAY, Day Twelve; Finding Sweet-Clover Honey and Exploring Old Places:  Our first stop for today was in Belvedere, a near-ghost town along I-90 just East of Kadoka SD. Here Bill had made contacts with some people who harvest what Grumpy thinks is the best-tasting honey in the whole world: that made in Western SD from Yellow Sweet Clover. I brought home a gallon of pure, never-heated, unfiltered Yellow Sweet Clover Honey. [I was told that one disadvantage of this raw honey is that it tends to crystallize more quickly than "pasteurized" honey. [Now why would anyone need to "pasteurize" honey? Pure honey is antiseptic -- nothing harmful to man can live in it!!] And further, Grumpy considers "sugared" honey to be more flavorful than the liquid variety!! So I figured I won both ways with my gallon of honey.

After buying our "year's-worth" of honey, Bill and I drove up to Midland, and the Nowlin cemetery where Mother's parents' graves are, and where the graves of the Kunkle Grandparents of Bill's and hers are located. Later we stopped at the Philip cemetery where my parents' graves are located. TOTAL MILES FOR TODAY: 493.9

TUESDAY, Day Thirteen, More Exploring: We stayed in Philip for a couple of nights; my hometown for my Senior year in High School, and where Bill was headquartered for a few years when he was a SD State Highway Patrolman. During one of my morning walks around town, I spied this "wagon train" each loaded with various kinds of flowers -- but mostly "Moss Rose" [Portulaca Grandiflora]. TOTAL MILES FOR TODAY: 2.2

WEDNESDAY, Day Fourteen; Two Nephews and a Grand Nephew:  On the way to Rapid City, Bill and I had to challenge the Wall Drug on their advertised "VETERANS!! Free Cup of Coffee and Doughnut". We also enjoyed the western motif in the cafeteria area where memorabilia and numerous West River brands were displayed on the walls.

When I had been in Rapid over the 4th, I hadn't been too concerned about having missed seeing my Nephew Larry, as I knew that I would be returning when Bill was with me. Sure enough, we were able to have lunch with Larry and his Mother Frances, then Larry arranged for his Son Cory (our Grand Nephew) to show us the 911 Dispatch Center where he works.

Later when Gary got off work, we were able to have an early dinner with him before we left for our night's lodging in Hot Springs. TOTAL MILES FOR TODAY: 172.0

THURSDAY, Day Fifteen; Consoling an Old Friend:  Mother and I have known the Goses since we lived as neighbors in Belle Fourche SD in 195o-51. Neil was the equipment maintenance repairman for Peter Kiewit & Sons, a large construction company then doing a major road-building project in Spearfish Canyon; their older daughter, charming, blonde and brown-eyed Adele, was the inspiration for the middle name of our first daughter. Unfortunately, Adele contracted some kind of cancer and passed away at a fairly young age several years ago.

When I returned from viewing the Sandhill Cranes this past Spring, I heard the message on my phone machine that Neil had passed away; I called Dyllis right away and promised I would stop to see her this Summer -- just as Mother and I had been visiting them each of the past several years. Dyllis is virtually blind but is still as cheerful and hospitable as ever; their younger daughter and husband are living with her and helping her with her needs. TOTAL MILES FOR TODAY:  350.2

FRIDAY, Day Sixteen; Through the Tetons and into Idaho:   As we entered Grand Teton National Park, we were treated to this panorama of the Tetons, with Le Grande Teton standing tall among the tall. Uncle Bob and I flew into this valley (Jackson's Hole) a few years ago, and then defying the advice of a Cessna pilot who landed at almost the same time as we had, we took off heading North (toward "high" country) and, relishing in the excellent performance of the Mooney M-20, were able to climb above these peaks and then turn Westward toward our ultimate destination Seattle.

After going through Pocatello and along the Snake River, we reached Burley ID where we snacked on a beans and rice burrito and slept the night. TOTAL MILES FOR TODAY: 382.5

SATURDAY, Day Seventeen; Into and across Oregon -- Bill is Home!:  After a complementary breakfast at the nearby Perkins restaurant in Burley, we ventured forth crossing the Snake River for the seventh time (since entering Idaho) into Oregon. [Bill seemed to be especially happy to be back in Oregon as he took this photo of the "Welcome to Oregon" sign.] We held off our lunch appetites until we arrived in Burns OR [this town might well have earned its name by how hot it can get on a mid-July day!].

This day we had planned to stay the night in Bend or Sisters OR. However Grumpy neglected to "plan ahead" and phone for reservations. That might have made a difference, but maybe not; both towns were teeming with weekend visitors when we got there about five in the afternoon, many of whom probably came up to escape the hot weather "down in the lowlands". At any rate, after stopping at four or five motels and getting the same answer, "No Vacancy", the driver finally made the decision to go another two or two and a half hours to get to Bill's home.  TOTAL MILES FOR TODAY: 612.4

SUNDAY, Day Eighteen; Another Visit at Fort Bale:   What Grumpy expected to be another Great visit with two Great Grandsons turned out to be another Great visit including a Lemon Meringue Pie -- and a Certain Great Grandson (A.) who will still not share "his" Lemon Meringue Pie recipe with his Great Grandpa Z.

[And maybe he is even becoming unwilling to share the "other pie" with his Great Grandpa!!

 Oh well, the food seemed to be cooked with the same care and deliciousness as if Swedish royalty had been there, so Grumpy didn't suffer too much. [Except for the now-mandatory Swedish teasing, that is!]

Before Grumpy could relax after such sumptuous feasting however, J. brought out the geode which he and Great Grandpa had been slowly chipping away at to open it up and reveal its hidden jewelry. Success at last! J.'s patience paid off!! The geode broke open exactly along the line along which he and his Great Grandpa had been chipping.

Later, J. innovated with some back-lighting to show this scene on the left. TOTAL MILES TODAY:  142.4

MONDAY, Day Nineteen: After a short trip up to Centralia and back to pick up a Cousin who would be staying after Grumpy left Fort Bale, he made his way on North; And so Grumpy's Auto Tour 2012 came to an end with his safe arrival back at home. TOTAL MILES TODAY:  316.0

TOTAL MILES ON THIS LAST HALF:  2,651.1
TOTAL MILES ON THIS SUMMER AUTO TOUR: 4873.4

More adventures are sure to follow. Also, please check Grumpy's Grumblings for information on this trip about gas mileage, motel shortcomings and such.

Visit to Fort Bale and Vicinity

25th April; Southeast Washington --

A visit to historic Fort Bale is an opportunity to see other sights that are in the neighborhood. For example, there are the tulip fields that are in their full glory this time of year. And there is the famous Hulda Klager lilac gardens, which also choose this time of year to show off their "lilac" colored variations: From deep purple with white edges [Grumpy's personal favorite] to pink and even white.

Grumpy's and the Grand Mother's long-time friend, Margaret, joined me on this voyage of discovery. Based on the status of the lilacs in his own yard, Grumpy had feared we might be disappointed in our visit to the lilac gardens. It turned out to be somewhat true, in that some of the blossoms were past their prime, while some others has not yet become fully-opened. Most, however, lent their delightful aroma to the misty-air if one poked his or her nose into the cluster of flowers.

And perhaps the most impressive on this visit were these two Magnolia trees, with their sparkly-fresh flowers.

No visitor to Fort Bale would feel truly welcome if not met by Snow Bear, the Great White Pyrenees who zealously guards and herds the pampered chickens of Fort Bale.Snow Bear is guardedly cautious even when a frequent visitor like the Great Grumpy shows up. The experienced and wise visitor, however, is not put off by Snow Bear's aloofness; since he insists on sleeping out in the rain (or snow!), his outer fur is usually fully hydrated (i.e., sopping wet!!) and any "close encounter" with his body will assure that your finely-creased dress pants will also be wet. 

After being assured of my welcome status by residents of Fort Bale, Snow Bear becomes even over-protective in his affection for the visitor, insisting in shoulder-herding him around obstacles and along dangerous pathways.

And what could be a surer sign of my welcome status than a finely-turned, genuine replica of the Grand Mother's Lemon Meringue Pie!? Although the pie was situated at Grumpy's place at the table, with his coffee cup for company, this appearance was soon shattered by the appearance of the "owner" of the Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, A., who promptly took possession also of the LMP. Despite tears and pleas from his Great Grandpa, A. would still not part with the recipe.

My friend, Margaret, is seen here enjoying the entertainment provided by J. and A. They were apparently doing some undercover work, spying on the chickens with A's 70-power refracting telescope.

 

Besides the flowers, we were privileged to join Grumpy's Swede-heart, H. and two Great Grandsons, J. and A. for a "gourmet" lunch [for which the "Sneaky Swede" paid -- gr-rr-rrr!!!], and then witnessed a hard-fought battle of Little League baseball, played out between Great Grandson J's team, the Mets, and another team called the Mariners. Yes, the Mariners even won this one!

What in the World is Grumpy Doing Now?

April up to tax-day 2012; In and Around the Sound --

I will just try to hit a few of the highlights of the various things I have done and places I have gone since getting back home from my travels out-of-State. Notice that I have dated this "April", rather than pinning it down to a specific day or days. My selfish reasoning is that I will probably not take the time to make multiple postings this month anyway; for one thing, I am not doing much that others may find interesting and for another, I am getting lazier in my old age to take the time to sit down and write many words.

Upon arriving back home, Grumpy was reminded that this was the school "Spring Vacation". Hence, the Grandson was visiting his Papa and Grumpy could be free to go visit at Fort Bale. After securing assurance that I would be welcome, Great Grandson A. suggested to his Mother (my favorite Swede) that she make a Lemon Meringue Pie for the occasion.

[Side Note: Ques: How and where did A. get a recipe for LMP? 

Ans: He had asked his Great Grandmother who replied, "Well, A., since you asked, I will give it to you!" (Grumpy had asked and pleaded many times! How come she never gave it to him?).]

Anyway, the results, shown in this photo do not do justice to the delectable taste of that delicious Lemon Meringue Pie. Grumpy can attest that it was the "real McCoy", with two notable differences: 1. The flavor of "free range" chicken eggs is different than "store-bought", and, 2. Grumpy did not get a stomach ache --- because he got to eat only two pieces instead of the whole pie.

The first Saturday, I rode with friend John M to Mt. Vernon WA to attend a luncheon get-together with SDSM&T alumni. Enroute to the site of the luncheon, John and I viewed some eye-dazzling daffodil fields.

We had a good visit with those who attended and look forward to more in the near future. One of the couples included a retired Boeingite with whom I graduated over half a century ago. John and I met them for berry pie and ice cream after the luncheon. Vernon (EE'50) was also a friend of brother Bob.

During the next week, Grumpy undertook the onerous task of stripping all of the old wax off of our kitchen floor. Not having his expert/housewife available any more to consult on the "formula" and/or most successful methods to use for such a task, he was reduced to his Boeing and college-days duty of doing "research and development" to find the best way or ways. Here is a summary of what he discovered:

1. Soap and hot water, with much "elbow grease":  Pretty much useless!!
2. Spic & Span liquid cleanser, with much "elbow grease": See 1.) above.
3. Spic & Span powder cleanser, with much "elbow grease": better than 2.) above.
4. Hot water and Ammonia, with much "elbow grease": Very effective at clearing the sinuses; but promising -- especially after a period of "soaking".
5. Pure Ammonia covered with a plastic sheet and left to stand for an hour: Eureka!! [Also, much kinder to the nose and eyes.]

Here are the before and after pictures, using method/formula #5 ("BEFORE" is on the left; "AFTER" is on the right).

Now, as soon as Grumpy completes the cleaning of the kitchen floor, he is thinking about replacing the faucet in the Master bathroom. [Perhaps he should post that in his "Grumbling" BLOG?]

The second Saturday Grumpy, accompanied by Margaret M., drove up to WWU to hear Granddaughter Rachel play her final piano performance before she graduates. On the way we toured the daffodil and tulip fields, finding this stunning view of Grumpy's favorite color. None of the vast acreages of single-color tulips could be found; evidently the tulips are later this year due to our cooler or wetter Spring weather.

Stay tuned for what happens to me after Tax Day!

Our 2010 Auto Trip; Part III, Day 7

On the Road Again; Tuesday 29 June 2010 --

We departed our lush quarters in the Sheep Shedde at a reasonably civilized hour on Tuesday, 29 June this week, for the 300 mile trip down through the heart of Iowa. Our first visit was with Mother's first cousin, Edythe, who lives on the farmstead she and her husband, Clem, operated for 30-40 years. The place is a typical Iowa farmstead, with huge (~100 year-old) American Elm trees hiding the farmhouse and shading a goodly portion of the yard.

Edythe greeted us as we drove in (she has an electronic device that rings a bell when someone crosses the beam along the 100 yard driveway in from the road), and invited us in for a visit and lunch. We had called several days before to arrange to meet her and she had suggested lunch at that time. Again, typical old-time farmhouse hospitality!

The lunch was a delicious taco salad containing lettuce, tomatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, taco-flavored ground beef, and topped with sliced avacado. 

After lunch, we drove on down to Des Moines, encountering a few detours where the high water from recent rains had either washed out bridges or had overflowed them.

In the Des Moines suburb of Altoona, we stopped at Harry Kunkle, another cousin of Mother's; Harry is Edythe's brother.

We visited with Harry for an hour and a half, then drove on down south of Des Moines to Indianola, where we had reservations at the Apple Tree Inn for our visit with Hazel, Grumpy's younger sister.

Grumpy had called his sister a few days before to let her know our planned schedule and the day we planned to be at her home. The day we arrived at the Sheep Shedde, Grumpy had called again to firm up the day: Tuesday, 29 June. But this time, Paul answered instead of Hazel; I gave Paul the message that we would be there Tuesday evening. Now, as we neared Des Moines, Grumpy again called to let Hazel know more precisely the hour that we would be there. Hazel answered the phone and said, "Oh, I thought you were going to be here yesterday! The lemon meringue pie that I baked is all gone now."

Much disturbed I stammered something about feeling sure I had told Paul "Tuesday" -- not "Monday". Then Hazel said, "Paul gave me the message that you would be here on Monday."

It was at about that point that I realized the my Nephew Paul had said it would be "Monday", so he would not have to compete with his Uncle Grumpy for some of that pie! However, when we arrived that evening, a newly-baked lemon meringue pie was introduced into the after-dinner competition that ensued when Paul and his Uncle argued over who got the biggest piece. It was worth the worry!!

This visit story will have to continue tomorrow; bedtime calls.

Continuing Saga of the Lemon Meringue Pie -- Episode III

Grumpy's Castle; 7 June 2010 --

As all regular readers of this BLOG already know, Grumpy has (from time to time) grumbled about his deprivation of his favorite after-dinner (or before dinner, or between meals -- even lieu of breakfast!!) treat: the Grand Mother's unequalled, delectably-delicious Lemon Meringue Pie. You also recall Grumpy's earlier attempts at convincing his eternal Wife of her need to let Grumpy transcribe her recipe -- and her Norwegianly- stubborn refusal to do so as far as Grumpy was concerned. Her infamous excuse? That Grumpy would simply have it for his mythical next wife (Red-Headed, of course).

Well, today marks a turning point: Today, the 7th day of June, in the year of our Lord 2010, the Grand Mother finally conceded to let Grumpy observe the whole process of making this famously delicious concoction! Grumpy was ecstatic! Now the recipe would finally be immortalized for posterity!!

The first step in the process involves the "zesting" of the lemons. This is a tedious task that Grumpy typically does to help her with the time- and utensil-consuming process. Grumpy enjoys this job, primarily because the thought of the climax to this process causes his salivary glands to start aching with joyous anticipation!

The entire process of making the crust is not shown, simply because it is the very simple procedure of making a soft dough of water and flour and then, after working it thoroughly to ensure it is well mixed together, roll it firmly out onto a flour-covered cloth to make a suitably-sized layer, as shown here, into (or maybe onto?) which to pour the lemon-pie filling.

Again, the procedure for making the filling involves dirtying at least 52 utensils such as bowls, spoons, forks and knives, not to mention a candy thermometer, the KitchenAid mixer and the ceiling (Grumpy's certain result). Besides, the filling is well-documented elsewhere (here and here). So no need to repeat it again.

And this is what the final result is supposed to look like this (a previously photographed pie):

Grumpy's elation at being finally allowed to witness the whole process and thereby be able to replicate this delicacy, in the unfortunate event that the Grand Mother becomes incapacitated to do it herself, was quickly deflated when the Grand Mother commented: "I'm not worried about you watching me make a Lemon Meringue Pie; you are so forgetful that you won't remember it anyway!"

She didn't have to say that!!

Lemon Pie, Recipe for [Per the Eldest Son of the Grand Mother]

Something Old; Something Stolen --

(The following is excerpted from another BLOG; see NOTE 2.)
"There is nothing finer than an old fashioned homemade lemon pie. I know of only a handful of individuals who can create the masterpiece as it was intended. For those who have never savored the pie, it is something you would never forget.

"Over time, I have been able to deduce some of the recipe and I will try to recreate it here:

• Buy a large bag of lemons. This will encourage the use before they begin to rot.
• Prepare many pie shells. 4-8 may be enough, provided either or both of certain lemon meringue pie aficionados, such as the two persons known as the Big Z and the Great Grumpy Z are NOT present. Lemon meringue pies should never be baked if any of said Great Grumpy's Grandsons are expected to be within five miles downwind (or upwind) of the site of said pie preparations. (See NOTE 1)
• Per pie: Heat 1 cup of water (eventually to boiling); add enough corn starch to make the bottom of the pan become opaque. Add 1 cup of sugar. Add cayenne pepper to taste and the juice and rind from a lemon or 2. 3 TBSP peanut butter, 1/2 handful of coconut. Carefully crush 3 sage leaves with 1/4 cup caraway seeds. Set aside for later use. Now add the yolks from 2 eggs with a pinch of clove.
• When the mixture becomes stiff, pour into the pie shell. In another bowl, beat the egg whites you saved (you did save them, didn't you?) until they fluff. Add some tartar sauce and sugar. Apply to top of pie, using your spatula to make peaks. Sprinkle set-aside leaves and seeds on top of the meringue. Finally, place into oven and bake until a knife cleanly passes through the pie.

"Voilla! enjoy your treat!" (See NOTE 3)

Next week

"Next week we will discover the recipe for Apple Pie. We will also search the picture for the sage/caraway. I think I may have been confused when I wrote the instructions."

NOTES:

1. Bold text added at the request of the consumer of the pie in the picture.
2. The editor of this BLOG is not responsible for the accuracy of the above recipe.
3. The reader/user of this recipe shall hold the editor totally blameless for any side effects(front or rear effects, too!) of consuming potential results from said recipe.
4. The editor of this BLOG did not post this page; a mysterious virus must have invaded his computer.

Lemon Pie Reprise (End to an Eternity!!)

Friday, 30 April 2009; In South King County --

Well, dreams really do come true ... sometimes! In Grumpy's case, his dream was at least one more of the Grand Mother's delectably delicious Lemon Meringue Pies before he checked out of this Earthly tour. Unfortunately for the prospects, however, the Resident Grandson somehow just kept getting Grumpy in trouble with his First Wife, and the dreaded words would be uttered, "No more Lemon Meringue Pie forever (translation: one eternity)." Of course, the Grandson got great satisfaction from hearing these words -- no noticeable sympathy at all for his poor old Grandpa. In fact the Grandson was even heard to urge his Grandmother to add on another eternity or two!! [No sympathy whatsoever!]

As I was saying, Grumpy's dream came true today when the Grand Mother offered up one (1) of her infamous (best in the World, believe me!!) Lemon Meringue Pies. And there is no Grandson around to steal the biggest piece!! The Lone Son who is here says that his favorite pie is the Grand Mother's Apple pie. She baked one of those the other day and there is still a piece of it left, so Grumpy anticipates absolutely no competition in his devouring of this golden-topped beauty. Yes, there will be a stomach ache tonight!! Plenty of TUMS on hand, though, so Grumpy does not expect to suffer too badly!

Now the Grand Mother opined that this was not a good-looking example. Grumpy disagrees [she says I disagree with her "all the time"!]. Not only does it look good like it should, but even if it didn't, Grumpy knows that it is the inside of the Lemon Meringue Pies that the Grand Mother bakes, which is the part that really, truly counts!!

I'll tell you in the morning how good it was. And I should probably also tell the Grand Mother that she needs some more practice -- so that she will be in good form to bake two or three for her First Retiring Son when he arrives in early June.

Or maybe Grumpy should just learn to keep his mouth shut. Except to eat some pie, that is.

Custom Modification of Heat Pump Installation

Somewhere in King County, 25 September 2008: --

This is the tale of an old retired Mechanical Engineer, who was not completely happy with the installation of his new Heat Pump. The problem wasn't with the Heat Pump itself, but rather the way in which it was integrated with the existing oil furnace -- or should I say, NOT integrated with said furnace.

The story starts with the initial requirement that the Heat Pump (a very sophisticated, two-stage hummer) be installed to be compatible with the existing (50 year old) oil-burning furnace, exploiting the capabilities of that furnace's three-speed blower. The three-speed blower is an update that Grumpy had installed a few years back -- the original blower was a single speed. To make matters even worse, the schematics for the new three-speed blower motor were not available and the schematics on the blower door of the furnace were virtually unreadable.

To make matters very interesting, if not really worse, the problem of hooking up this three-speed blower with the fancy Heat Pump and even fancier electronic thermostat interface adapter unit, involved electrical wiring and relay logic. Now if it was just plain logic, Grumpy could have called in his philosophically-inclined logical Grandson Lief and the problem would have been solved in a trice. But, knowing he was on his own, Grumpy put his mechanically-inclined mind to work and after several trying hours and innumerable cups of the Grand Mother's coffee, he determined that he had found a solution. (Note: "a solution", not "the solution"; it is a well-known fact that if you ask two Mechanical Engineers to solve a problem, they will come up with at least four "known solutions", none of which either of them will give you a guarantee in writing that any of them will work.)

Grumpy took his "solution" to that famous local company known as BIC, Inc. Now this company's claim to fame is that they can fabricate anything made of electrical wires, complete with connectors on each end of each wire and loomed together to form an apparently fully-engineered end product. Typically, these products are custom-tailored to meet customer requirements. The company has customers who are lined up in a considerable backlog for these custom products.

After a hard negotiating session with the Chief Engineer of BIC, Inc., as well as its hard-nosed CFO, Grumpy was able to obtain a "promise to perform" in fabricating the product which is called, "Relay Logic Module" (RLM, for short). This module consists of four relays, one of which is a double-pole, double throw type. The function of the RLM will be to interface between the electronic thermostat interface unit and the oil-furnace with its three-speed blower, and to allow exploitation by the Heat Pump of the full capabilities of the three-speed blower.

The finished product is pictured here; it measures about 3"wide by 6.5" long and stands 2" high. This is well within Grumpy's stated maximum dimensions of 4.5" by 7.5" long and 2.75 " high. As soon as it is hooked up and the system is checked out, the Grand Mother and Grumpy will be able to enjoy the full capabilities of their sophisticated new two-stage Heat Pump with its ultra fancy automatic thermostat and the full capabilities of the three-speed blower!

Ah! Automatic heat in the Fall, Winter and Spring, and automatic cooling when ever necessary or desired!! No more of Grumpy's previous annual edict of "First of October, furnace ON; First of May, furnace OFF".

Don't the readers think Grumpy deserves a Lemon Meringue Pie for this? Huh?!

Vote here, vote now: (click on "Comments" and say "YES"!!)

Vote often.

Heat Pump Starts Operations

September 3, 2008:

Yesterday (September 2) marked the beginning of operation of the new heat pump. The installer (Kirtan) went to great pains (literally as well as figuratively!) to maximize the functional integration of the new heat pump with the existing oil furnace with its three-speed blower. I am disappointed that, at present, only a single speed of the blower is being utilized. I am hopeful that a review of the electronic control schematics will reveal a simple way by which more of the blower speeds can be automatically incorporated. Especially since the heat pump is a two-stage unit and a lower blower speed is best used with the lower stage function.

This morning at six a.m., we awoke to warm air coming from the heat registers. Now, at a quarter to ten, we are enjoying cool air! Ah, such conspicuous consumption!! But this will not last; Grumpy is determined that the Castle will be maintained at a comfortable temperature at all relevant times (like during breakfast, while First Wife is busy crafting delicacies such as her incomparable Lemon Meringue Pies (see current sample below!!), and at all other times when said Wife decides she would be more comfortable at a higher -- or lower -- temperature). The new thermostat, which communicates via three or four wires with a microprocessor-controlled unit mounted on the bonnet of the furnace, features an impressive array of touch-screen options allowing the resident to turn on the blower (for air circulation), turn the heat (or cooling) temperature up or down, etc. The control also allows an automatically-programmed schedule for each of four times during each of the seven days in a week. The program may be over-ridden by the Master of the Castle (also by Grumpy!) at any time; once over-ridden, the temperature is maintained until the next programmed event at which time it returns to the automatic program.

In the lower right hand area of the thermostat is displayed the outside air temperature -- looks like today will be a rather warm day! Hooray for the option to have air-conditioning!!

The Grand Mother's Good Eye

As most of the readers are aware, the Grand Mother has one "Good Eye" (her left) and one "Evil Eye" (her right, where the macular portion of her retina was destroyed several years ago by a Retinologist who mindlessly destroyed this critical portion of her retina by using excess laser power and number of "shots"). That is another story; this story is about her "Good Eye".

Sometime Thursday (24 July), the Grand Mother noticed a "blurring or darkening" of the vision in her left eye. By 10 or 11 the next morning, she began to realize that "something really bad" was happening. She told Grumpy that it was "dark on the bottom part"; this indicated a retinal detachement of the upper part (the eye inverts the image). She also described a "bright circle" inside the dark area with a brighter outline around the outside of the bright circle (Grumpy's comment: I don't know what this was or what it might mean). So she began calling her Ophthalmologist to see if something was drastic enough to require immediate attention. Unfortunately, her Ophthalmologist is on Summer vacation and could not be reached. Ultimately, she was referred to a Retinologist associated with Swedish Hospital on "pill hill" in downtown Seattle. She was told to "be prepared for immediate hospitalization" in case the Retinologist determines that surgery is necessary. It turned out that that was the case.

Dr. Saperstein, the Specialist in Vitreo-Retinology to whom the Grand Mother was referred, looked young enough to be one of our kids. But he assured us that he "had been doing this sort of surgery for 15 years". [The Grand Mother and Grumpy have some difficulty remembering that our own children are fully mature and actually wiser and more skilled than their progenitors!]

Dr. Saperstein confirmed our suspicions that Grand Mother had a detached retina. He also examined her right eye to be sure that it was OK -- as far as the retina is concerned anyway. He escorted us from his clinic over to the admission desk in the hospital. There we filled out a gajillion forms and were told we must sign a "blank check" that whatever our insurance provider didn't pay would be our reponsibility. As usual Grumpy went ballistic and insisted that he call our provider; but, also as usual, the Grand Mother's cooler and wiser head prevailed and as soon as she had signed the dastardly form, was taken to the Operating Room.

Grumpy went out to sit glumly and lonesomely in the lobby awaiting news from Dr. Saperstein that "everything went well and your wife will be down shortly".

At about 3 pm, I was told I could go up to her room and see the Grand Mother. Grumpy was relieved to see that she was experiencing no pain and had no bruises or other visible trauma. It was after he began a histograph of her blood sugar readings and Insulin injections that the realization came that she had undergone considerable psychological trauma. The stress of seeing Grumpy stomp off angry about having to sign that one admission form was one thing. The other, perhaps more significant, was the absence of any Insulin injections for nearly 24 hours. Anyway, there was a large "spike" in her blood sugar readings. The Grand Mother was not happy about being "under anesthesized" such that she felt some fluid (probably the vitreous fluid) running down her cheek and some "sharp pricks" during the surgery. But, as soon as she got home and "in command" of her injections (thanks to the obedient, though argumentative Grumpy!) she stabilized her blood sugar, as can be seen on the histograph, with her designated Insulin injections shown as red squares with a number representing ten times the milliliter quantity. Grumpy was proud of her -- after he recognized that she was right, not him.


It soon became obvious that the Grand Mother had returned to her "old, cheerful self" -- and likes to talk on the telephone. Here Grumpy believes she is talking to her sister back in Minnesota. Grumpy believes he heard such phrases as:
This end: "He is busy doing whatever I tell him to do."
Suspected other end: "I'll bet you like that!"
This end: "Yes, it is nice for a change! And he even seems to like it!!"

Grumpy has to admit that he doesn't mind the "slave duty". After all, the Grand Mother has given him more than he deserved these past 60-plus years. It's a fine opportunity to show her that he can help out more than she might have otherwise realized. For example, Grumpy offered to make a Lemon Meringue Pie -- all she had to do was recite the recipe to him as he measured and mixed the ingredients. What a deal!!

NOT!!!

Alas, the days of those delicious, delectable Lemon Meringue Pies are over unless or until two (2) things happen: 1.) Grand Mother's "Good Eye" recovers completely, and, 2.) The Great Grumpy Z starts behaving himself better than he ever has in past history. The first is a good bet to happen in four or five weeks; the second is possible, though not too likely given his track record.