Summer Camp

This is a very big week for the Geek Family!


The two youngest Geeks are at camp FOR THE WHOLE WEEK!


(Not to self: They will be just fine. They are with people you have known for years. They are only an hour away and well within cell phone range. Some one will call if they need you. BREATHE!!)


This week took some planning and orgainzation.



Clothing had to be washed and placed in bags so that they would stay dry. (in case of torrential downpours and high winds..and....Breathe....Breathe okay I am better)




















Food had to be coordinated so that each boy would have plenty to eat that fits within their diet restrictions. (With plenty of goodies so they won't feel left out during the dessert.)













Here is my Littlest Geek telling me Goodbye (and I Love you MOM!)















And here is the Middle Geek in a self portrait. I think the two of them will be fine. (Just fine I tell you! Quit worrying!)
















First Phone Call (Monday Morning) -- Racoons LOVE Fish Oil Capsules! Sending Replacement Supplements.

Random Quizes

My Bloggie Friend Jules knows I am addicted to online quizzes and yet she still dangles these things in front of me. Man, I bite every time!!

So Quiz number one (I took this quiz and I don't even know what it means) . It does mention engineering and is accurate about how I feel about boredom.

I'm a Talent!

You're a risk-taker, and you follow your passions. You're determined to take on the world and succeed on your own terms. Whether in the arts, science, engineering, business, or politics, you fearlessly express your own vision of the world. You're not afraid of a fight, and you're not afraid to bet your future on your own abilities. If you find a job boring or stifling, you're already preparing your resume. You believe in doing what you love, and you're not willing to settle for an ordinary life.

Talent: 56%
Lifer: 28%
Mandarin: 54%

Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.

This Quiz has promise!

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Let's see what type of advanced degree I should have...

You Should Get a PhD in Science (like chemistry, math, or engineering)

You're both smart and innovative when it comes to ideas. Maybe you'll find a cure for cancer - or develop the latest underground drug.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Well that is a relief!!

And the Middle Geek is also addicted to these Quizzes. Here is one he took.

You Would Be a Pet Dog

You're friendly, loyal, and an all around good sport. People love to be near you. You are very open with your feelings, and you're quite vocal in expressing them. You are sincere and kind. You love many people - without any sort of agenda. Why you would make a great pet: You're content to chill out with your friends Why you would make a bad pet: You always find yourself getting into trouble What you would love about being a dog: Running around and playing What you would hate about being a dog: Being left home alone while everyone else is out having fun

What Kind of Pet Would You Be?

Friday Fill-ins

Searching for something that doesn't require too much thought this morning.

1. A smile is __________.
A smile is Always a better option.

2. __________ is my favorite board or card game.
Careers was my favorite board or card game. Farkle is my new favorite Dice Game.

3. I would love to have more __________ in my life and less __________.
I would love to have more laughter in my life and less stress.

4. When I think of the Summer Solstice, I think of __________.
My Grandma's Birthday.

5. I just remembered I need to __________.
Pack my son for summer camp (and yet I keep typing.)

6. One of my favorite song lyrics goes like this: __________.
Some people hope for a miracle cure, some people just excet the world as it is. -Billy Joel

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include getting my sons (that is plural OMG two of them are going) ready for camp, and Sunday, I want to read a book, sit out on the patio and drink a cold beer!

Wordless Wednesday

Geeks at Play!

What's for Dinner at the Geek House?

For summer, I have switched from using Freezer Meals and I subscribed to the weekly meal planner from Saving Dinner. Each week has six meals planned with a detailed shopping list on the front.

Last night we had a memorable dinner (memorable in a really good way) .

The menu called for Red Chicken Curry.

I should probably tell you that I love cookbooks and new recipes, and sometimes I follow them exactly and other times I use them for inspiration. This leads to some really good dinners that will probably never be repeated in my life time as I am not always sure how I got there. For that reason alone Mr. Geek was excited that I was blogging about this meal, so that there would be some sort of written record and maybe he would see the same meal again. (I agree with him on this, I can't wait to make this again.)





First I sliced the chicken breast relatively thin (about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick) and cut the slices into squares. I placed the chicken in a bag and added salt (~1 teas) and Coconut Powder (a purchase from the International Food Store, it is coconut ground into a coarse powder). I shook the bag to coat the chicken and pan fried it until it was crispy. (I saved some of the chicken at this point for the picky Littlest Geek.)









After the chicken was cooked, I added a bag of frozen peas and 1/2 bag of frozen mango to the same pan. (Do not rinse or clean this pan before this step.

Then I added one can of coconut milk and a seasoning packet of Thai Red Curry and a bit of water. (I did not follow the instructions on the seasoning packet either, I am that much of a rebel hah.)

After the mixture came to a boil and had thickened a bit, I poured it over the chicken, stirred it and served it over Jasmine Rice.

I rounded out the meal with some watermelon.











The only thing I would like to do differently next time is I plan to look for plain red curry at the International Food Store instead of using the spice mix. Although the mix is GFCF, I like to keep the amount of processed food we eat to a minimum.

Did you hear that? It was Mr. Geek screaming, "NOOOOO! Please, can't we have the same meal more that once?" heheheheh

Bicycling

Sometimes I run across an invention that makes me proud to be and engineer. (Yes, Ian always a bit proud to be an engineer. It's okay that you are a little jealous.) Please visit the website at Lose the Training Wheels . Dr. Richard E. Klein at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and his wife, Marjorie Klein began working on making a bicycle that would teach children and adults that have had difficulty moving to a conventional two-wheeled bike due to mental or physical handicap. Their goal is to teach riding a bike without scary crashes and to increase the number of people that can learn and enjoy riding a two- wheeler.

This is the first Roller-Bike that the children begin on.

The next phase is a bike with the roller in the back. The rollers allow the rider to get the feel of balance without the fear of falling down.

Mr. Geek and our Middle Geek had the privilege of volunteering at one of the camps last week. It was such a rewarding experience, that Mr. Geek moved his schedule around to be able to return for another day. Middle Geek worked with the younger kids in the gym and bonded with a few boys close to his age. One boy insisted that MG ride on a bike right next to him and there were lots of hugs that day.

Any parent of a child will tell you that watching your child ride independently on two wheels is a big big day. Now think about if you had tried in some cases for years without success, or perhaps you thought that riding a bike was just one more activity that would be unachievable for your child, and then one day you see them riding free. Imagine the joy of these parents and kids!

I am very sorry

I would like to apologize to the readers of this blog. I am so sorry. (I feel better already.) When I posted the list of items planted in my garden I listed: Dianthus "Neon Star" - Clavelina. Since I listed that, many, many people (seriously it is over ten) have stumbled onto my site after searching google. They are looking for wisdom such as, "Does Dianthus repel rabbits?" I am sure they are looking for more than I can give them, because they don't stick around for long.

So if you have stumbled onto this blog from google. (First-- Welcome I LOVE visitors.) This is what I know about Dianthus: They have a pretty flower AND the sign said they were perennials. I love perennials because as an engineer, I am all about saving time (I am lazy) and energy (I am cheap).

This is what the plant looked like the day I bought it.

This is what it looks like today in my garden!

Please leave me some advice before you take off.

PLEASE!

So Where was AbFabGeek?

Did you guess right?

I was close to Tennessee, but far, far away from Switzerland, I was in Rural Missouri and at Lambert's Cafe . This restaurant is famous, I mean FAMOUS in this part of the world for country cookin' (no g on cooking, EVER) and (this is the most important) when you want a roll, you put up your hands and the roll boy fires a roll at you from across the restaurant.

I was a bit apprehensive about visiting for lots of reasons (never mind the cow bell decorated vehicles) but because it looked very much like a family establishment and I was eating alone. But how often am I going to be in this part of the world (don't answer that question, something are better unknown)? So I bravely marched past the arcade room, past millions of license plates, past this:

And asked for a table for one. He asked, "Would you like to sit at the bar?" Where's the bar? (I thought this was a dry establishment.) He laughed and said, "Well you can't drink there, but right there is the bar." So I took a seat right up front where I could look out over the entire restaurant and employees wandered by to make small talk with the over the road truckers. A PERFECT seat!

They serve all beverages in oversize mugs. I asked for water to drink and as the boy walked up with this humongous plastic mug he tripped and spilled it all over me!!! But wait, the mug was empty. It was really corny and funny. A girl comes by before I even ordered and offers me some fried okra. I said, "I don't have a plate." The guy at the bar said, "Just grab some of those paper towels fold them up and she'll put them on there."

I was torn, should I order meatloaf or Chicken Fried Steak? I asked the waitress, she says, "Just a minute" and leaves. Next thing I know here she is with a serving of meatloaf. "There try it and let me know."

I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and mashed potatoes, turnip greens and fried apples. After I received my food, more people kept coming by, "Would you like some fried potatoes? Would you like some stewed tomatoes and macaroni? Would you like apple butter or sorghum for your roll?" It was like visiting a huge group of long lost relatives. I ate until I was miserable, and still left so much food. "Don't you want to take that with you?" To bad I was too far from home, because I could have made several more meals on what was left.

What a great time and a great restaurant!

Another Engineering Adventure

So I hear you out there asking, "Tell about another engineering day!" You are out there aren't you.

Yesterday, I traveled to give Safety Training to City and County Workers. Can you guess where I was? Here are some clues.

The pickup trucks wore cow bells.

This is where I had dinner. (Another hint, look at what he is doing.)

This is my dinner (AFTER I had eaten, and they kept bringing me more.

Last hint: This is the bar where I ate dinner.

Where in the world was ABFAB GEEK?

10 Ways the World Has Changed Since You’ve Been in School

Last Ten for Tuesday was to list 10 Ways the World Has Changed Since You’ve Been in School. I couldn't think of ten, but I thought of one change - Caller ID-- that has allowed be to have this conversation, over and over.

Me: (Coming home after being gone) Did anybody call?

Boy: (It doesn't matter which boy) No

Me: Did the phone ring at all?

Boy: No

Me: (Scrolling through the CallerID) When Grandma called at 7:00, what did she want?

Boy: She said to call her back when you got home.

Me: Oh, Thank you for giving me the message.

Added:

Another strange occurrence made possible by CallerID.

I scrolled down the numbers and saw that Time and Temperature had called. You know Time and Temperature-- "At the tone the time will be ....." When did they start calling people? Is this some sort of service that I signed up for? You know, please call me every Tuesday at 10:00 am. Or maybe, please call me every time the temperature is exactly 92 degrees.

I of course asked the boys, "When Time and Temperature called, what did they say?" The answer---I dunno.

Garden Update

For those who have been following the progress of my garden since the first of spring, Here is an update.

First, here is my tomato and pepper garden. The tomato plants haven't grown much, I think I will fertilize them.

And my pepper, oh my poor poor peppers. I think the rabbits found them. But have no fear, I sent out the middle boy with his soccer ball and the rabbit are cowering again (if they're smart.)

Now take a look at the lettuce garden, it has come a long long way from March. In fact, all of this lettuce has to be harvested in the next two weeks. So if you live close by consider this an invitation to come and get some. (After the lettuce s harvested, it will be my zucchini garden. The plants are already growing, can you see them?)

And we can't forget my pride and j0y, my herb garden. My basil reseeded itself, so I have lots and lots of basil growing. And do not make fun of my gnome! Every year I ask for an angel for my garden, and every year I get one for a birthday or mother's day present. And every year I have to throw away an headless angel (a victim of a soccer ball or baseball bat accident). Mr. Geek was tired of the carnage and didn't purchase one this year (sob). The gnome survives because it is made of cast iron!!

An Engineering Adventure

The question on everybody's mind today is; "What does an engineer do anyway?" What can I say, I hear and I respond. Let's visit a video clip from my presentation to schools..

There are lots of types of engineers and the thing they work on are varied. Some work behind computers, some work in the ocean on oil rigs or underground in mines. The common thread of all engineers is that they are problem solvers.

I am also a small business owner, (small as in just Mr. Geek and me) so the engineers at this company do whatever job is needed to keep the company and the cash flow flowing.

Our company does not do large amounts of field work, but occasionally there is a need for us to go out into the field to take some measurements.

Today was that day.

First, I had to take off my semi-cute office shoes.

And put on my practical (and ugly) boots.

What was the job? Thank you for asking.

We need to know if this building was high enough to be above the river when it flooded.

Geek Alert! To find the elevation of a building first you have to know the exact elevation of another spot. then you connect that known spot to the floor of the building and measure the difference in height. Hopefully this know spot is not too far and the measurement can be done relatively quickly. If not, there is alot more work involved. (Yes, this will be on the test.)

Luckily, engineers have also invented lots of gadgets (think of McGyver, our hero or Batman's utility belt) and one way to measure is with a GPS. This is the same GPS that you use in your car to find directions.

You set up the GPS and let it talk to the satellites for one hour, then you take it back to the office and it tells the computer where it has been.

That's right, you set up the equipment (to the right) and watch it for ONE HOUR. Go ahead, stare at the picture, that's what it looks like in the field also.

Luckily, I brought along another piece of highly technical engineering equipment.

Then I moved the GPS to the second location to continue its conversation with the satellites.

This location was on the edge of the road, so I decided to park my car behind it so no one would accidentally run into it. Did I mention that the GPS is expensive and BORROWED?

Then I thought (thinking was a dangerous activity at this point), maybe I should get a bit off the road, just to be polite.

POP QUIZ: Where was this activity taking place?

Oh yeah-- In the flood plain. And what does the ground look like when it spends much of its time under the river. This all occurred to me as my car began to sink slowly.

Luckily people who live on the river all own big trucks and tow chains.

Engineering is fun!!!

Photos

My blog friend Jules at Just Because has some of the most amazing photography. I can only admire her pictures from afar, but my middle son has some photography and video aspirations (see yesterdays blog.) This is some of his most recent work.

Updated to add: See my present from Jules! This is so neat!

First Day of Summer Break

So what did you do today?

The First Triathlon

I know you are all very curious and what to know--- How was the first triathlon?


Here's the short story in pictures.


If you are unfamiliar with a triathlon, here is how it happens.

The littlest Geek (LG)

Mr. Geek

First, you have to have your number assigned.










The first race is the swim.






Followed by biking. No picture of Mr. Geek, I was in the pool area.









The last part is the run.











Time starts from the beginning of the swim so transitions are very important.

The Results

Third Place - Boys Ages 9-10

Second Place Men 40-49

The Story

We chose this triathlon for the littlest geek (LG) because it was a mini-tri (a little bit shorter) and we thought it would be small. We were right the size and crowd was perfect. They started in six person heats and LG went and introduced himself and shook their hands.

LG has been on swim team for several years, so we figured the swim portion would be no problem. Once again, we were right and LG was the first out of the pool.

The clothing change had been laid out meticulously by Mr. Geek and also went very smoothly and he was up on his bike and off.

Now I was not so confident of the bike portion. He had just recently outgrown his bike and was on his older brother's bike, his first with gears and hand brakes. So as the people that had left after him returned and there was no sight of him, I began to worry. I mean I know it was a closed course with people monitoring it along the way, but he is just a little boy.

Finally he returns, pushing his bike. The group of spectators that have been waiting with me begin cheering for him. When that doesn't cause him to pick up the pace (he loves applause) I knew something was wrong.

He returned his bike (okay he dropped it) and went out for the run at a slow slow walk. I walked with him trying to find out what happened. "Are you okay?" "Do you want a drink?" "Do you want to quit?" No answer. I finally stopped him and refused to let him go any further until he drank some water. (Oh did I mention after a cold, cold spring the temperature was now ninety degrees!) By then Mr. Geek had finished his race and walked the final leg with him.

After the race he ate and drank some and finally perked up and told us that he had crashed on his bike. (No blood, only a very small scrape.) After that he was so mad.
When he saw he had won third place though (yes out of three, what is your point?) he was very happy.

And the best part of the day was when he went to the officials and told them he really didn't deserve to win because after he crashed the bike, he turned around right there instead of continuing to the proper turn around location. I was very proud of him. And yes they told him he still deserved third place for trying so hard.

So I think we can declare: The First Triathlon was a Success!!