What did you do today? 2016 version

[Hermit]

I have washed rock coming on Tuesday to get the basement ready to pour concrete. I am leveling the base to 12 inches below the final concrete floor. Leveling a decomposed granite grade is not easy. Surface varies from 2 inches high to 2 inches low. I'll be swinging a pick for the next couple of days. Then on to moving about 15 tons of rock. Maybe I can get a couple of kids to help with the rock.

 

[Khan]

Took 2 mile walk, got cleaned up, donated blood.
#200, but the blood banks don't talk to each other, so no kudos.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Fedup]

I went to an Italian restaurant, meeting with my husband's nephew and his pregnant wife and SIL, boy that was the best tasting food I've had so far. Too many restaurants here and the quality of food is very high. Vegetables are so tasty.
I've been eating non stop, well almost.

 

[aja8888]

Went to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant with a friend for lunch. Put up with more rain this afternoon. The rain is getting old and the flooding getting tiresome.

 

[Hermit]

Looking at the last few posts, including mine, my idea of retirement seems to be a little off kilter!

 

[MRG]

Made my first ever pizza on the Weber. Won't be the last! DW was not thrilled when I said I was going to try it. She quickly changed her mind. I was expecting to burn a few and never did. It will be easier next time but these were awesome.

 

[Khan]

Today's coffee mug.
Brought my collection to Florida.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[aja8888]

Today's coffee mug.
Brought my collection to Florida.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

OK, how did the lobotomy go? Or on another note, how's the knee that was giving you so much pain?

 

[Fedup]

The Pho restaurant in London is terrible, the people in the back are all French. It tasted worse than Pho in a can. I had to try it because my SIL said many good things about it.

So today I tried another Italian restaurant, but it's not as good as the last one. We went walking down near the river Thames to work off the nice lunch. The the flowers and bush and everything here is green. Wild red poppies are up everywhere. Surprisingly I didn't have any allergy as I usually have in the states, or California to be specific. Not thirsty either, even after walking for an hour. It was a nice balmy Sunday. I didn't need my light rain coat.
I like this weather and the location of my flat.

 

[Marita40]

Survived one week of the kitchen remodel. I anticipate there will be at least 5 or 6 more. Wish more progress had been made this week, but I need to trust the process! It will get much worse before it gets better as next week the new floors go in.
Meanwhile I'm cooking simple meals in the temporary kitchen and pretending I'm camping.

 

[splitwdw]

Made my first ever pizza on the Weber. Won't be the last! DW was not thrilled when I said I was going to try it. She quickly changed her mind. I was expecting to burn a few and never did. It will be easier next time but these were awesome.

Did you cook directly on the grill or use a stone? I cook pizza directly on the grill and a friend uses a pizza stone on the grill. Like them both, more even browning on the bottom of the pizza on the stone. It takes longer to cook on the stone because you have to pre-heat the stone.

 

[MRG]

Did you cook directly on the grill or use a stone? I cook pizza directly on the grill and a friend uses a pizza stone on the grill. Like them both, more even browning on the bottom of the pizza on the stone. It takes longer to cook on the stone because you have to pre-heat the stone.

I cooked directly on the grill. I'm a little hesitant about the stone as I'm cooking on "Grill Grates" that changes the grill slightly as you don't get flare ups. I'll probably try the stone sometime but not in any hurry, these are awesome. Thanks for the information.

 

[GravitySucks]

Rode the 50km route of the Tour de L'ile. Nice weather first 5k, drizzle the next 15k, pouring rain the rest of the way and could barely see on the ride home. At least the weather was great for Friday's Tour la Nuit.
Enjoying a mini vacation in Montreal.

 

[NW-Bound]

We came back home from the Sea of Cortez yesterday, to the heat wave of 117F. Yikes! I need to escape again soon.

The weather was so nice at the beach resort, and the ocean water was 75F, just right for swimming (after a drink or two).

By the way, my wife discovered that she could get a tan even being in the shade if she stayed out for 8 hours a day. The reflected light was that strong. One needs protective lotion even in the shade if being outdoors that long.

 

[oldphd]

I cooked directly on the grill. I'm a little hesitant about the stone as I'm cooking on "Grill Grates" that changes the grill slightly as you don't get flare ups. I'll probably try the stone sometime but not in any hurry, these are awesome. Thanks for the information.

We've also been doing this for a couple of years and really like the way it turns out. Went to a cooking class at a local place that included a dough recipe that was a little different. It was half regular flour and half OO flour. I'd never even heard of that kind of flour. The consistency of the dough comes out great for doing it right on the grates.

 

[MRG]

We've also been doing this for a couple of years and really like the way it turns out. Went to a cooking class at a local place that included a dough recipe that was a little different. It was half regular flour and half OO flour. I'd never even heard of that kind of flour. The consistency of the dough comes out great for doing it right on the grates.

Thanks. I'd heard of that, but didn't pay attention. I just ordered some to try. Sounds interesting.

 

[harley]

Looking at the last few posts, including mine, my idea of retirement seems to be a little off kilter!

Well, we've often said that FIRE is whatever you want it to be. But having spent my day tearing out hundreds of pounds of cactus that we planted a few years ago that has totally taken over a garden, I'm with you. Need to modify my definition.

 

[Walt34]

Off and on rain and thunderstorms today so stayed inside.

I started reading up on FPV (First Person Video) systems for radio control airplanes. The last time I looked into it was about 15 years ago and the only one I could find that was small and light enough was a kit for the TV camera and transmitter that you had to build. Oh, and you needed a ham license to use it. I did go out and get the basic ham license (Technician, I think it was) but later concluded that by the time I finished a usable system I'd have about $4K in it and it just wasn't worth that much to me.

Now I saw an ready-to-go system from Singapore for $99 but I'll probably end up spending more on a system from a U.S. vendor like this one: Spektrum Ultra Micro First Person View (FPV) RC System with Fat Shark Headset | Horizon Hobby. They have a better reputation for reliability and parts availability.

So with this you can fly the R/C airplane from the point of view as if you were sitting inside the airplane. Later on I can put together a video with music from "Top Gun" and shot from a (snicker) palm-sized J-3 Piper Cub.

 

[W2R]

Well, we've often said that FIRE is whatever you want it to be. But having spent my day tearing out hundreds of pounds of cactus that we planted a few years ago that has totally taken over a garden, I'm with you. Need to modify my definition.

I agree! As I grow older, hiring people to do horrible tasks like that has moved way up on my list of priorities.

 

[braumeister]

It was half regular flour and half OO flour. I'd never even heard of that kind of flour. The consistency of the dough comes out great for doing it right on the grates.

If you're cooking pizza at high temperature (I like to do it around 550-600°F ), then 00 flour is essential. Regular flour will burn at those temps. I don't see any benefit to using 00 for any other purpose.

 

[Chuckanut]

Thanks to a few recent road trips I fell way behind in my Italian lessons using DuoLingo. Today, I vowed to catch up and close the gap by at least 50%. So far, so good....

 

[MichaelB]

I updated my airlines mileage accounts with the new Global Entry info. Both UA and AA now require "security questions". What a joke - especially United. Someone actually got paid to do that. A drop down menu of 15 choices of "what is my favorite ... " type of reading, artist, vacation, subject in school, sport, musical instrument, cold weather activity, hot weather activity, sea animal, music. Most favorite veggie, least favorite veggie. What color was the house where I grew up? (There were 6 different houses, which one do I choose? The Quonset hut? That was corrugated steel - and "rusty" was not a color option) What month did I meet my DW? Really?

Even worse, I have to choose among a list of preset responses - and the first question I selected did not have my favorite music genre on the list.

Security questions do not make online accounts and access more secure. They are just busywork, and create an illusion of security.

 

[harley]

Especially those ones with the preset responses. At least if I get to make up a response, I can make them up nonsensically. "What was your first car? - Banana" is unlikely to be guessed. And since I keep all that crap in a password keeper I don't have to remember anything. Bruce Schneier invented the phrase "Security Theater" for things like this (although I think he was talking specifically about the TSA at the time).

 

[braumeister]

I was OK with security questions when they were first introduced some years ago, because there is no possible way anyone could guess what I entered as my choices. First pet? Mxyztplk.

But like you, I've notice that most places have replaced those user-friendly choices with simple forced choice options that have only limited relevance to many of us. Worthless security theatre.

 

[harley]

Ha! Beat you!