Smoke Detectors

UPDATE
Another tip I received online was to use a shower cap over the smoke detector when cooking something that will smoke (like when using cast iron). Don't simply "deactivate" the alarm, you'll forget to enable it later. Simply slip a shower cap around the smoke detector, cook your meal, enjoy it, and you'll remove the cap later.
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The first couple of houses that I lived in didn't HAVE smoke detectors. It wasn't until I moved to Pittsburgh, PA in 1974 that I had ever seen them. I remember my dad dragging out the step ladder, drill, screws, screwdriver, smoke detector, and 9 volt batteries to install 2 in the house. One was outside my bedroom door and the other was in the living room (next to the kitchen). I also remember this was when my grandpa instructed ME to change the batteries in them. I'm not sure how it became MY responsibility to change them, but I am glad he did. I still change them twice per year, on the days that we change the clocks forward or back. Because of that, I still cringe on those days when I have to lug out the ladder and do that.

But, moving into a new built house in the late 90s and now living in an apartment has also taught me some things. Smoke detector technology has changed and we need to keep in touch with that if we are going to understand how they work and what they do.

When I moved into the new built house, the contractor explained to me that the smoke detectors had advanced to the point that they not only detected smoke, but also were carbon monoxide detectors. They were "hard wired" into the electric panel now, and the battery only served a purpose if the electricity ever shut off (they would still work). But, I was diligent and changed them twice a year.

Available at Sears

And now in changing the batteries in my apartment taught me something else that has really helped me in cooking (especially in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven). Newer smoke detectors actually have a button on them that you can press to shut them off for 7-20 minutes, should they go off for the wrong reason, like when you burn your home made home fries or hash browns. See my other blog entry about cooking oil smoking points in the kitchen for more info. And, it also vocally tells you whether it detected a fire or carbon monoxide. In the OLD days, you had to get the chair under the detector, rip the cover off, and rip the battery out. In my 90s house, you had to stand under it and fan it with a newspaper until it stopped. In my new apartment, I just have to reach up and press a button for 5 seconds (and then I have 7-20 minutes to clear the smoke out of the kitchen). WOW!!! Massively helpful things to know when I'm burning dinner.

Another new technology about the 4 smoke detectors in my apartment, is that they are all tied together by the wires in the walls. If ONE goes off, they ALL go off. So, if a fire starts down the hall in my son's room, the detector in MY room goes off. I'm more likely to hear it in my own room, than down the hall in his, with both doors closed. Yeah, that is another good development in smoke detectors.

Something else that I learned in doing some basic research, is that it is still recommended that you change your batteries twice per year, but it is also now recommended that you change your smoke detectors every 10 years. I'm fortunate that my apartment complex was only built 5 years ago, but I still listen to grandpa twice a year.

So, bottom line, some suggestions:
☑ Change your smoke detector batteries on the days that you change your clocks, so twice per year.
☑ Change your smoke detectors themselves, every 10 years to keep up on technology.
☑  Wire them all together so if one goes off, they all will go off and you are more likely to hear it.
☑ Watch what cooking oils used in the kitchen to prevent burnt dinner smoke (see the blog for more info)

Recipe Research

I am always searching for new ways to prepare meals. Normally I start searching at All Recipes.com (yes, I do have an account there and have stuffed my recipe box), but I also do random searches to find things that catch my attention. This time, I started with a simple search but discovered some AWESOME ideas that I just had to share... so here goes...

Bob Evans Sausage Gravy

Of all of the meals of the day, I LOVE breakfast foods most of all, followed by Italian dinners... Ask a roller derby friend of mine, Elektra Q-Tion about going to Perkins, Eat N Park, or a hole-in-the-wall diner for breakfast with me. One breakfast item that I particularly crave, is sausage gravy. So, I did a search for a decent recipe for it, and discovered some great things shared on the Bob Evans website, including their recipe for sausage gravy. Okay, yes, I'm sharing the Bob Evans Sausage Gravy recipe, with some minor personal edits in green, but please scroll down to read what else I have to say about their website.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Bob Evans Sausage Roll (whatever flavor in the pantry or that you desire)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (unbleached white works best)
• 2 cups milk (whole, 2%, and 1% work best, keep your eye on skim)
• Salt & black pepper to taste (or whatever other herbs you want to add, I suggest Old Bay)

Directions:

• Crumble and cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned. 
• Stir in flour until dissolved (a small fork or whisk works better than a spoon). 
• Gradually stir in milk (whole, 2%, and 1% work best, keep your eye on skim). 
• Cook gravy until thick and bubbly (medium setting, any higher would set off the smoke alarm). 
• Season with salt and pepper (or whatever other herbs you want to add, I suggest Old Bay). 
• Serve hot over biscuits (or whatever you want to put it over). 
• Refrigerate leftovers (if you happen to HAVE any, LOL).

Personal Recommendations:

• Use ground turkey and the sausage gravy over stuffing at Thanksgiving
• Use the sausage gravy over tortillas wrapping scrambled eggs & bacon
• Use it as sauce over ANY pasta
• Make a pizza using this recipe as the sauce
• Check out all of the Bob Evans recipes
• Check out the 20 Recipes under $2 (per serving) recipes

How to Store and Travel with a Tie

9 of my 17 ties

I love wearing ties. I have over 17 in my collection now. I learned to appreciate ties by listening to my grandfather, and what he told me was to "store them on a hanger from the dry cleaner (pic at the right) and NOT on a shirt hanger or tie rack, as they will crease your tie in the middle." So, that is how I always have done it. On a hanger from the dry cleaner that has a cardboard tube, 4 per hanger to keep them balanced, and in the closet between a few pairs of pants. But times do change, so should I.

Not only do I love wearing ties, but I worked for a company where I had to travel, and always faced the conundrum of how to pack them in my suitcase without having to iron/press them when I got to my destination. I came across some info for storing and traveling with my ties. It will help me in living in an apartment with limited storage options and assist in packing my suitcase for travel. The best site I came across regarding can be found by clicking HERE. But, since this site was very limited in sharing information, I'm going to share some of my own tips to help you insure success.

Items needed

Items Needed:

• 1 Tie
• 1 Toilet Paper Roll (empty of the paper of course)
• 1 quart plastic bag (sandwich or Ziploc)
• 1 shoebox (for storing the ties, not pictured)

Recommended Procedures:

• Use a long table or counter space to roll the tie
• Start from the LARGE end of the tie, not the small (as shown)



Roll from the other end

• The reduces the wrinkles in the most visible part of the tie
• Do not fold the tie in half and roll that way, roll the entire length of the tie to reduce creases or wrinkles
• Roll the tie tightly against the roll
• Insert into the bag and seal it
• Place all of your rolled ties into a shoebox for storage in an apartment (not shown)

Personal Tips:
✔ You can fit 6-8 ties in a shoebox in the closet.
✔ When traveling, take as few ties as possible. Pack them in your suitcase surrounded by rolled socks.
✔ Be prepared to use an iron set to "steam" to remove the creases & wrinkles. They do age like we do...

Hmmmm.....I wonder if this will work well for my Italian silk suspenders too....

Car Wash

I was young once... and had dreams for a career. I wanted, in the 70s, to be a truck driver, an OTR guy. But I paid attention to the drivers, and I respect them deeply for what they do for us. I yield to them when I can, and flash them when they do the same for me.

The best advice that I've gotten from them, is to park my car outside in a rainstorm. This is actually the BEST car wash that you can ever experience. You don't have to expend any elbow grease, the rain does it for you. And, because rain is organic, you don't have to "buff" it to get the polish.

I've learned a lot from the truckers...and am just passing it forward...put your car out in the rain, and reap the benefits of it all...I triple dog dare you...

WiFi Redo

Before

I was catching up on my RSS feeds and came across this entry (Hidden Wireless Repeater) and it got my mind going...

While it was more than I "need" since I don't use a repeater, I do have a wireless connection to the iNet, but it was "bothering" me about how I had it situated on my end table. SO, I decided to give my living room an update by combining a working radio and my wireless connection point into one. Economy of scale, so to speak.

After

I took the screws out from the back of the radio (that I got from the dumpster), and because of all of the spare room, was able to place the wireless router into the body of the radio. Because it had a wood body, the signal was not diminished at all for my MacBook or my HP Tablet (thank you JJ McHugh for that). I cut a bit of the back of the radio so the power cable and the network cable would fit for the router, but it has helped me consolidate some things together, and make my living room more "visitor friendly."

Headlights When Driving

I live south of Cleveland, Ohio and since we are in the winter season, there is a lot of snow and ice. My point is related to the entry about Night Driving and lights, in particular; headlights. Why don't people turn their lights on when they should? Just because you can see everyone else while you are driving, doesn't mean that we can see YOU if your lights are off. Especially if it is raining, snowing or is at dusk and you are in a white/silver/grey (2011 Color Popularity Report) vehicle coming up behind us, passing us, or coming the other way.


Most vehicles now come with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) which makes you more visible to others. I actually keep my low beam headlights on ALL the time. I want to be as visible as possible to everyone. Regardless of the time of day, weather, conditions, etc. Part of that comes from learning to drive from my grandfather & he told me I should always do it, but also from getting the motorcycle endorsement on my license and learning why motorcycles are required by law in nearly all states. VISIBILITY

Sunset

Speaking of "laws," I did some research on my state laws on headlights, and the Ohio Code 4513.03 (summarized HERE and detailed HERE) clearly says that headlights must be on from sunset to sunrise & any time that windshield wipers are being used due to precipitation on the windshield. How many people are driving home from work or the mall, just before dinner, but don't have their lights on? Remember, in winter the daytime light is the shortest.

According to the law today (1/2/12) and Wunderground.com, I must have my headlights on from 5:09 PM until 7:53 AM. How many people do you pass that are on their way to work or home from work, that don't have their lights on? And what about how bad the weather is? A white vehicle, in the morning/evening during a snow storm is severely dangerous to encounter.

Please folks, look up your state laws, learn them, know them, and think about everyone else out there on the road...driving is now defensive not offensive... Safe driving.

Breakfast Sandwich

Egg rings

I bought these the other day, and after reading all of the comments, I do suggest that you dip them in olive oil before using them. Fortunately, I learned a lot of Italian cooking while growing up, and have a lot of it in my pantry.

BUT, my point of this entry is about how awesome these are if you use them properly. My son was with me last weekend, and usually eats Pop Tarts for breakfast, but as his father, I strove to provide him a better option, without having to run to McDonald's for a meal. I made it at home.

Breakfast sandwich

Because they are a new item in my kitchen, I poured a raw egg into one ring, and poured a scrambled egg into the other, just to see the difference. I then took each result, put it on an English muffin, with cheese and a home-made burger, and served it.

End result? We will occasionally have "breakfast for dinner."

I served it with a side of hash brown patties. Score one for me.

Snow Removal Without a Shovel

By living in an apartment complex, you meet a lot of people and occasionally learn something from them. Today I learned how to remove the ice from my sidewalk without using a shovel and ice scraper. Use a 35 cent container of common table salt.

Beginning

The first picture shows what the sidewalk looked like at the start.

Was snow on top of 1/4" of ice, slick as all hell, even my dog slide down the length of it.

After spreading the container of salt, I could actually HEAR the crackling of the ice as the salt interacted with it.

Like a bowl of Rice Crispies...SNAP CRACKLE POP

After 15 mins

The second picture shows what it looked like after 15 minutes of spreading the salt.

 I actually stood out there with a stopwatch and cheap cigar to time it. Enjoyed watching the stopwatch more than I enjoyed the cigar.

1 hour later

The last picture shows what it looked like 1 hour later.

So, it was EASY to clear the sidewalk. And cheap, only 35 cents, less than the cost of a cup of coffee. And, time well spent...

Night Driving

Driving at night in rain or snow storm really is challenging, to say the least. Not only does the weather diminish your ability to see in front of you, but so do the headlights of cars coming the other way. They are almost BLINDING as they reflect directly into your eyes. A couple of tips about driving at night can be found at Road & Travel Magazine and the NYS DMV driver's manual, but I'm sharing the best tips.

• When another car is approaching, look to the right (by checking the passenger side mirror or looking at the line on the side of the road)
• Dim your dashboard lights as low as possible

You are "supposed" to check all of your mirrors every few moments so you are aware of what is going on behind or beside you. Diverting your eyes to the right when a car is coming the other way, you save your eyes from reacting to the amount of light that is impacting them, so when you return them to the front, they don't have to "readjust."

Dimming your dashboard lights reduces the amount of light impacting your eyes. When driving, especially at twilight, you rely on your peripheral vision. The dashboard dials impact that. By dimming them, you can SEE them when you are checking the speedometer, clock, or radio station, but they won't distract your peripheral sight while you are actually looking at the road in front of you.

'77 VW Rabbit

I learned this trick from my grandfather decades ago when he let me drive his car (a '77 Volkswagen Rabbit). He shared this with me because he learned it by being a belly gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II. They dimmed the lights on the plane (cockpit & belly gun controls) when they flew at night so they could see out of the windows better, achieve the mission that they were on, and spot the enemy faster. Hmm...that makes sense. Driving a car is not about being the first to cause an accident, but about being the first to spot a situation that you can AVOID.

B17 Flying Fortress

I learned a LOT from my grandfather about life in general, but I still adhere to the tip of dimming my dash lights and look forward to passing this advice on to my son when he starts driving too.

I wish that my Toyota Highlander had a belly gun... sometimes other drivers piss me off.

HEE HEE HEE

Hello...my name is Dozer. I was named after the word "bulldozer" because I always plow through things that I find inconsequential, and because most often I can be found "dozing." As you can see by the pic, I have commandeered the master bed where I live. I let others sleep here, but it is MINE. But I digress, those will be other posts...

I've commandeered my buddy's Mac to post some of MY thoughts on a blog, but didn't want to bother creating my own. Yeah, without thumbs it is kinda hard to work the mouse or touchpad. It is hard to bother filling out all of the registration info...so I am using my buddy's blog.

I call him my buddy, because he didn't "sire" me (so he isn't my "daddy"), and he doesn't "own" me. He and I connected at a point in my life where I needed someone like him, and he needed someone like me. He welcomed me into his life...without restriction. He wrapped his arms around me, kissed my forehead, and said to me, "welcome to your future...you are loved...live as if you've never lived, love as if you've never been loved, but always experience things, as if you haven't experienced life itself..." That's always stuck with me, which is why I am using his Mac...and why I have the suspicion that he is a hippie (that, plus all of the patchouli incense that he burns).

Life with him for the last few years has been interesting. When I connected with him, I was deaf (still am), was 25 pounds overweight, could barely walk, and only had 6 months to live. Within the first year with my buddy, I had lost 15 pounds, had 6 steel pins inserted into my hips and rear legs so I could walk, and learned a lot of American Sign Language (ASL) so someone could "talk" with me... After my surgery, he became my buddy when he slept with me on a sleeping bag, on the floor of his dining room (so & BECAUSE I couldn't walk up stairs), for several months. Because of that, I can now commandeer a bed as my own. As he lays his arm on my back while we slept, I know that is why our souls continue to melt together.

But, AGAIN, I digress...the last year has been particularly interesting for me, and even for him. We moved out of our house into an apartment (thank goodness he chose one with a single floor, with no stairs), and he has begun cooking again (YUM)...and has joined a roller derby team [NEO Roller Derby], which in itself, brings a lot of GREAT things to my life. Again, that will be ANOTHER blog post when I can grab computer time on his Mac when he isn't paying attention or is at "derby practice."

I'm going to have to start posting more blog posts about DERBY when my buddy isn't around...maybe when he goes to the practices and things that he does, I will...if I'm not dozing...stay tuned...and:

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