Truck Nuts

     "Are those testicles hanging from that truck?" I asked Mike a couple of weeks ago.
     "Looks like it," was the answer.
     That was odd.  Maybe not so odd, or rare.  I've seen them in various colors, several times in the last week.  Today I saw a pair, up close and personal, hanging from a truck parked in the Shop Rite lot.
     When did these ornaments first appear?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck_nuts  Who invented them?  Drive-thru Danglers, Trucksticles, or HitchNuggets have been around since 1998, and were first sold on the internet in 1999.  In the United Kingdom (yes, the Brits are fond of them, too), they are known as Bumper Bollocks.  According to Ask.com, they were brought to the market by Aston Enterprises.  No one person is taking credit for coming up with the idea and executing it. CargoNads (another name) can be made of plastic, and they come in a variety of colors.  The pair I saw today was crafted from what looked like aluminum.  They were, shall I say, intricately detailed.
     As you might have guessed, there are plenty of people out there who are offended by the site of an oversized scrotum swinging from a trailer hitch.  Politicians in Maryland, Virginia, and Florida have tried to pass laws prohibiting the display of the twins.  Virginia Tice, a sixty five year-old-woman from South Carolina got a $445 ticket for displaying her cojones in 2011.  As far as I can determine, Ms. Tice is still fighting the charges.  http://www.thefastertimes.com/crime/2011/08/09/the-rosa-parks-of-truck-nuts/
     I'vs seen a whole lot of this out there in the world:

From Google Images

   
     And this:

From Google Images

         And even this:

From Google Images

     I guess I can handle this:

Also,  from Google Images

Why Is the Sky Blue? Why Can't Animals Talk?

     Never mind.  What I really want to know is who invented chocolate milk?  If you google that question, you'll get several answers.  Like so much in life, the real story is complicated.  Here's how my mind sorted it out after 15 minutes of research.
     An Irish physician, Hans Sloane  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Sloane, learned about chocolate powder mixed with water when he visited Jamaica in the 1680's.  Sloane found the taste of the beverage was improved when it was mixed with milk.  He took the recipe back to England where it was sold as medicine in apothecary shops.
     In the very early 1800's, a father and son team in Holland figured out how to make better tasting chocolate milk.  The initial break through was made by the father, Casparus van Houten, Sr. Cocoa beans contain high amounts of fat which made cocoa products hard to digest.  The senior van Houten figured out how to press most of the fat out of the cocoa bean.  The son, Coenraad van Houten discovered that treating cocoa powder with alkaline salts made it mix better with water or milk.
     When the van Houten's patents expired in 1838, other people began to produce chocolate powder.  They started experimenting with making new chocolate products.  One of these people was Daniel Peter, a Swiss.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Peter  In 1875 or 1876, he added powdered milk to chocolate powder.  Peter worked with Henri Nestlé.  Voilà, Nestlés Quick.
     So, chocolate milk evolved, beginning in England and ending in Switzerland almost 200 years later.  But is it good for you?  That also is complicated.  Some studies show drinking chocolate milk after a work out is as restorative as drinking Gatorade.  Is drinking chocolate milk a good way to sneak milk into a child's diet?  Maybe not.  The oxalic acid in chocolate inhibits calcium absorption in the intestine.  This might not be an issue if you have a diet high in calcium from other sources, but it has been proven that people who eat chocolate every day have lower bone density.  I would conclude it's not a good idea to use chocolate as a vehicle for getting calcium into kids. Sorry, Mr. Hershey.
     Finally, one more study indicated the flavenoids in chocolate might reduce the development of atherosclerosis (thickening of the artery walls), but red wine works a lot better.  So long, chocolate milk.  Hello, Cabernet.

Who decided wine should be served in long stemmed glasses?

Work Out!

     Everybody should exercise.  Going to the gym and wearing special gym clothes is the cool way to do it.  This family takes to cheap route, fulfilling our exercise requirements by staying in motion around the house and around the neighborhood.  Mike and I take two mile walks around the tracks at the municipal complex.  We also ride our bikes about five miles each time we go out. Mike has an app on his phone that maps the route and keeps track of the distance and the speed we travel.  The other day, just for a hoot, he used that app when he mowed the lawn.  Here's the route he traveled, all over the yard:

Google Maps plotted every step Mike took.  He walked 1.47 miles.  It took 57.59 minutes to mow the grass.  His mowing speed was 1.52 miles per hour.  According to a calorie counter I found online, he burned 392 calories.  http://www.fitday.com/webfit/burned/calories_burned_Mowing_lawn_general.html

   
     I burned 552 calories digging the seven holes for planting my new shrubs (see April 25th's blog entry).  http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calories_burned.asp  If I spend four hours painting a room, I've burned 1,104 calories.  I'll expend 336 calories cleaning the oak tree stringy things out of the rain gutters.  Sewing, something I love to do, burns only 81 calories per hour.  I'll have to eat light on the days I sew.
     The moral to this story is to keep moving.  And, at our age, you might also have to take an Advil.

I Want My Senior Discount

     We get older, and the doctor, on a regular basis, wants some of our blood.  He always wants it first thing in the morning, when we haven't had juice, coffee, or even a bite of dry toast.  I went for my semiannual blood test this past Monday.  After waiting over an hour, I was so famished I made a beeline to the nearest McDonald's for an Egg White Delight (no cheese) and coffee.
     I asked the extremely young man serving me, "What is the age for getting senior coffee?"
     "Senior coffee.  You got it," was his response.
     That was easy.  I was a little concerned that I looked old enough to qualify without so much as a doubting glance from this fellow.  However, the thrill of scoring a freebie overcame the perceived insult.  My next thought was, "What else can I get?"
     There are so many senior discounts out there, some worth more than others.  The age to qualify ranges from 55 to 65.  Fast food places usually offer a free drink, and you can get that drink once you are 55.  Offers vary by location, so ask.  Dunkin' Donuts turns it around and gives a free doughnut with the purchase of a large coffee.  Chain restaurants also offer discounts.  Appleby's gives 10% off to those 60 and over, and IHOP gives discounts to customers 55 and over.  You don't have to eat out to get reduced food prices.  Some grocery stores offer senior discounts.  The qualifying age is usually higher than 55, and the percentage off is small, around 5%.  The A&P is one national chain that has offered a discount to oldsters.  Ask where you shop to see if you can shave a bit more off the weekly food bill.
     Retail stores often advertise discounts to seniors, but don't get too excited.  You get 15% off on Wednesday at Kohl's if you are 60, but Kohl's routinely sends out coupons worth 20% and 30% off.  It makes more sense to wait for a better deal in the weekly circulars.  Craft stores like Joann and Michael's also have senior day.  The days vary at Joann.  It's every Tuesday at Michael's, but you must present an AARP card.  Be sure to use a 40% coupon along with your discount to get an even better deal on one item.  Even the Goodwill store has a senior discount.
     Movie theaters give seniors a break on ticket prices.  AMC and Rave offer a reduced price ticket.  Regal reduces the price of popcorn and a drink.
     If you are planning a vacation, shave a little off the cost by taking advantage of senior deals. Cruises lines have senior pricing.  Amtrak gives 15% off to passengers age 62 and older within the United States.  Greyhound gives 10% off to passengers once they reach age 60.  It pays to join the AARP.  Your membership card will get you discounts on car rentals and lodging.  Even the federal government gives elder travelers a discount.  For a $10.00 one time fee, people age 62 and over can get the America the Beautiful Senior Pass.  For the rest of your life that pass gives you free admission to the 2,000 national parks.  http://store.usgs.gov/pass/senior_pass_application.pdf
     Some seniors on a fixed income consider a cell phone an expensive luxury.  Verizon offers a cell phone senior plan.  It costs $29.99 per month for 200 anytime minutes.  It's not a phone that allows Granny to surf the net and text like a teenager, but it does provide good service for basic calling needs and emergencies.
     Any time you open your wallet once you've hit age 55, you should be asking if you can have a senior discount.  You'll be surprised how many merchants will reward you just for getting older.  If you are shy about asking, buy yourself a hat.

     

Lint Lizard

     It's torture to stand in the express line at Walmart with Mike.  That's where they display the "as seen on TV" items.  He whined for a Sham Wow for at least a year.  He's off that kick, finally.  Now he wants that garden hose that starts out as big as a drinking straw and expands to 1,000 times its size.  By and large, infomercial products are crap, and Mike knows it.  He just likes to amuse himself (and needle me) when he's stuck in line.
     Every now and then, between the PediPaws and the Slap Chop, there's a product that performs as advertised.  I noticed an article a couple of months back that praised the Lint Lizard - a flexible vacuum cleaner extension for sucking lint out of clothes dryers.  Consumer Reports tested the Lint Lizard, and it really works.  http://consumerist.com/2013/03/22/does-the-lint-lizard-actually-work-surprisingly-yes/  It seemed to me that our clothes were taking longer to dry.  Maybe I needed a Lint Lizard.
     After some online checking, I concluded that Bed, Bath, and Beyond has the best price on the Lizard - $10.99.  If you use a 20% off coupon, the price is reduced to $8.80.  Here's the saga:

"Lizzy" comes in three parts.  Just push them together.  The claim that it is 43 inches long is deceptive.  The clear hose, the only part that matters, is only 30 inches long.

The green end made a nice tight seal on the vacuum cleaner.  Lizzy has vent holes you can open and close to adjust the suction.  The clear tubing was tightly curled when it came out of the box.  We used a hair dryer, set on high, to heat up and  relax the tubing.

The instructions say to clean the screen by hand, then shove Lizzy into the slot to suck out lint.  When I did that, I didn't get much lint.  I started doubting my purchase.

I pulled out the dryer and detached the dryer duct.  I  inserted Lizzy into the wall and sucked up an enormous wad of fuzz.   I also cleaned the inside of the duct.  The instructions also recommend going outside the house and cleaning the outside vent.  Our vent is on the roof, so I let that go for now.        

There you have it.  Lizzy removed all of this.

    
   
      Besides keeping the dryer vent clean, Lizzy probably has other uses.  I think "she" would be useful for cleaning under the stove and refrigerator and under car seats.  I think I might also go 30 inches into the heating ducts to see what I can pull out.  I like my new toy.      
   
     

Vaulted Cuisine

     Burlington County College's Culinary Arts Center, located in the former Burlington County Trust Bank in Mount Holly, contains a student run restaurant aptly named Vaulted Cuisine.  What else would you call serving haute cuisine amidst old bank vaults?  I had dinner there last night with a group of friends.
     Our dining adventure began with a vegetarian taco, moved on to bread sticks, first course, second course, and dessert.  Here's the menu:

First Course Choices -

Shrimp Arancini, Prosciutto Chips, Fra Diabolo Sauce
Spring Pea Soup with Mint, Herbed Crouton
Hydro Bibb Salad, Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Fried Oysters and Chicken Salad, Philadelphia Style
House Cured Salmon, Crème Fresh, Herb Crackers

Second Course Choices -

Goat Cheese Tortellini, Sautéed Spinach and Carrots, Prosciutto, Sage Brown Butter Rice
Grilled Pork Loin, Cauliflower Rice, Squash Ragout
Mediterranean Brined Chicken Roulade, Crispy Rice Cake, Asparagus
Pan Seared Catfish, English Pea Risotto, Tropical Fruit Salsa
Vegetable Terrine, Quinoa, Tomato Puree
The Chef's Interpretation of Philly Cheese Steak - Sliced Steak with Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce, Polenta Cake, Asparagus

   

From 9:00 going clockwise - Goat Cheese Tortellini, Vegetable Terrine, and Grilled Pork Loin

Our Lovely Hostess

Our Waiter Holding a Lemon Pudding Dessert

A Peek into the Kitchen

Our Group

     You'll have to wait until September if you want to dine at the college.  They are booked through the end of this semester.  The price is $16.00 per person which includes tax and gratuity.  Here's the link if you want to go in the fall: http://staff.bcc.edu/culinary/restaurantreservation.asp

Old School

     We sat at desks like this when I attended Hainesport School:

  

     I found an old school chair during my last trash picking foray.  Here's the transformation:

This is how it looked after de-cobwebbing, sanding, and removing the mismatched and rusted glides.

The layers of plywood on the seat and back were separated.  The solution was to work as much glue as possible into the cracks and clamp the layers.  The left edge of the seat had deep gouges.  That was a job for wood filler. 

I covered the wood with blue painter's tape and plastic bags.  Next, I sprayed with primer and paint.  I used brown primer for rusted metal.

I hate to spend money on these projects, but the original glides were too far gone to reuse.   

I added some letters and numbers to up the cute factor.  After painting them, I wiped the back and seat with three thin coats of gel polyurethane.