A New Iron! It's Not Just For Women Anymore....

Pumping Iron, Nine Iron, Forging Iron, Iron's in the Fire...  All Expressions of Masculinity.  But add an -ING to the word Iron, and things suddenly get more "feminine."  Well I'm here to Break that Stereotype by announcing my latest Tool of Testosterone!  My New Iron!  

The Old Toastmaster lasted 11 years and began "toasting" the felt even at the lowest setting.  I think there was a short somewhere in there, because lately, when I plugged it in, the little light would not go on unless I jiggled the cord.  I could have saved it and repurposed it for making actual Toast from bread or  searing meat in the Frying pan, (A totally acceptable, normal, MASCULINE thing to do...) but decided to just pitch it and beg Cheryl to buy me a new one.

And so she did.   A Sunbeam Steammaster!   She got it for CHEAP!  Because the box was damaged. (another Totally Masculine thing to do!)  Shopping in the Scratch and Dent section makes me love her even more! ( Nothing is sexier than a good Bargain Hunter!)

So how does it work?   Well,  Unlike the Irons of yesteryear,  these new Irons actually plug in the wall and use electricity to generate the heat.   You can even add water to it and adjust the settings for the various materials that you want to use.   In this case.. Wool Felt!  

But does it work?   Yes it does!  Check out the before and after pics of this stubborn felt stocking blank.   Now that is what I call,"Im-PRESS-ive!"  ( Get it?   Press, as in you have your clothes "pressed"... )

And check out the steam!  All I have to do is push a little button near the handle and steam comes out.  I can also adjust the small lever to have a constant stream of steam when I need it.  

Now,  to be fair,  the Toastmaster lasted 11 years with somewhat consistent use during the Stocking season.  It was fairly reliable,  Right up until it began scorching stuff.   It had to be retired because folks don't like having charred burn marks on their Christmas Stockings.

I'm sure some of you out there are wondering why I'm so hip on Ironing Felt.   Well,  I would like to think of it as a Tool of the Trade.   Much like the sewing machines, embroidery machines, and machetes used in making the Stockings. Tools are tools!  And men like tool.   And I'm a MAN!    So obviously,  if given the choice of a chainsaw or an Iron, I would choose Chainsaw.  Unless I was creating Christmas Stockings.  

Other than that,   We just finished 19 stockings.   We did 35 yesterday, ( cyber Monday), but it looks like things are tapering off fast.  Hmmm.. I wonder why?    Cheryl and I are confused on how we are to react to the declining sales.   On one hand,  we are relieved we are not getting swamped again like 2020.   However,  we also want to be able to survive in the future.   So having sales and money would definitely come in handy.   Ah well,  there will always be something to complain about, right? 

Tomorrow, we take Haru to the vet to get the snip.  While there, he will be getting some shots, a bath, a flea treatment, de-wormed, and possibly a snack.  With a little luck, he may become an indoor cat, as he is small and does not have the thick fur coat that Leo has.  Hopefully,  I will have pictures of the little scruff to post for the blog.   So far, the only pic I have is this one with Rocket and him on the bench during the Summer.   One of his redeeming values is he gets along with all of the other cats.  Once he is all fixed up, we shall see how well he adjusts to domestic life.  

Oh!  And since I have new found time to blog today,   Cheryl ran 7 miles.   This is the first time in a while that she was able to get in a full training run.  Lately,  we have been cutting things short because 35 stockings in a single day is a LOT and requires a lot of time. But today,  the weather was nice and the stockings limited.   Might as well run off some of that Anxiety while also training for a future race..  If we can afford it.   If there are any more races.   If the asteroid manages to miss the Earth.  ( See how depression spirals out of control?) 

Hope everyone is having a great day today.   And hopefully the Sun was shining, even if the temps are a little brisk..   Now it is time to answer some questions in the shop and then..  Time to relax.   Thanks for stopping in. 

Weekend Stockings.

We just finished 30 stockings today.  And 26 yesterday.  Cyber Monday is tomorrow and Cheryl says we are already up to 25.  But the good news is that this is Peak Stocking season.  

And since sales are down from last year.  we have plenty of supplies.   I am tired, so I will keep things brief.    Hope everyone had a great Turkey Weekend.   Thanks for stopping in.

Thanksgiving Day Recap.

As noted by many of the folks on Facebook,  I see that many people managed to get a Turkey, despite the rising inflation, Supply Chain Back up, Pandemic surge, panic buying, and shortage of Turkeys.  ( Proof you can't believe the news anymore.)  And as much as Cheryl and I prepared for a "Traditional Thankgiving dinner"..  There was a change of plans.

Now before you go off thinking we had another sad Thanksgiving dinner with Hotdogs or Mac and Cheese..(Did I tell you about the time we had to share  a pot pie on a cardboard box? ) You could not be further from the mark.    We had Tacos!  

Whoa!  Wait... Tacos?   Yes Tacos!  But not your normal boring Tacos from one of the few remaining Taco Bells in Operation...  These were Gourmet Tacos!  Worthy of the Food Network!  

Alton Brown on Iron Chef!

So now you are probably wondering how Cheryl and I managed to get on an Episode of The Iron Chef, Or America's Test Kitchen?  What series of odd events had to happen to make this opportunity possible?    I shall explain.

After the Turkey Trot in Davenport yesterday,  Mike invited us to their house that was only a few hours away.   There, Pam, Wyatt, Stan, and Delilah were busy making a Taco Buffet worthy of Any Taco Tuesday at your Local HyVee.  But this was Way Better!  You see,  they are all fans of cooking shows, cooking magazines, Martha Stewart, and Alton Brown. ( I think they mentioned Gordon Ramsey as well...  )  That means you have to expand your image of Tacos when you bring these sages into the mix.  
Ok, that last paragraph is laying it on a little thick.    Yes, it was a taco bar.  No, I have never been to HyVee Taco Tuesdays.   In fact, I can't remember the last time I had an honest to goodness Taco!  Either soft or hard crunchy shell!   But I do know that I have NEVER had smoked brisket or slow roasted pulled pork as an ingredient.  And yes,  they took their holiday meats, and beers very serious. 
The meats really were the highlight of the tacos.  The salsas ranged from hot to mild.  There were home made pickled onions, tomatoes, several cheeses, avocados, and sour cream.  White soft, yellow soft, and hard shells, refried beans and lots of other stuff I 'm struggling to remember.   You simply could not fit it all on a single taco.  ( So I had to make multiple trips.) 

Flan!  Awesome!

But then!  The goodies.  Pam made Flan...  A Custard dessert passed down form the mother-in-law?  I have never had anything like it. I would have to say that was my favorite item from the feast yesterday.  There were also plenty of cookies and other treats as well. In all, it was a good time. 

Now I know this entire chain of events might seem a little hard to believe.  Especially given our new found mental condition,  ( see the Autism Post) But apparently, despite Cheryl's best efforts, they seem to enjoy our company.  Perhaps they are as odd ( Or Normal) as we are.   And since there are no pictures of these festivities, you may just have to take my word for it. (That we actually have friends!)  Plus, who would write so much about tacos for thanksgiving if it were not true?  Just saying that last sentence out loud seems to make complete sense, while also sounding rather odd. I'll try not to overthink it.  

Flan...  You have to try this!

So,  our Thanksgiving was saved by enjoying it with friends instead of family this year.   I think this is a first for me.   I have always spent my thanksgivings with family ( not counting the "sad" ones.) I think I may enjoy the change in the routine.  Perhaps a new tradition?  But let's not overthink it.
Hope everyone else had an equally fun and exciting Thanksgiving.. with Friends, Family, and Flan.   Seriously,  Flan!  You really need to try it.   It was awesome!  And new! And that is a kind of rare finding a food I have never tried before. I would highly recommend.   Thanks for stopping in and Have an Great Weekend!

Turkey Trot Recap

Success!  On a cold, windy and overcast day,  Cheryl managed to win her age group in the Davenport Turkey Trot.  We only have a few minutes to upload all these pictures via the Hotel internet. so I will be brief.  

We linked up with Mike at the start line this morning.   They ran the race while I froze my butt off waiting for them, and they both came out winners.   Mike got third place in his age group,  Cheryl got first in hers. 

Mike at the Finish

Cheryl at the Finish.

 

If you wanted a medal for this race, you had to come in the top three of your age group.  Both did!  Mission accomplished. 

Time for Turkey.   Or ham... Or whatever you may be enjoying this fine day.   Happy Thanksgiving.    Hope you are all able to share it with friends and/or family.

A Case for Autism.

 Cheryl and I just found out that we both have Autism!  We discovered this while watching a You tube Video on the internet.  And if it was on the internet, you know it has to be true!   We learned that out of the 16 simple signs  to look for, I have 15 of them, and Cheryl has all 16!   So yeah... apparently we are Autistic. 

Early intervention is Key???

I'm not entirely sure how to process this information.  Especially now that I know I'm Autistic.  All this time I thought my social awkwardness and bad life choices were due to me being shy and introverted.  ( Which are sure fire signs of autism, by the way...)  It certainly does explain a few things.  

For instance,  Me geeking out about Mushrooms and Origami....  I thought that was just a hobby that I was enthusiastic about.   Nope!   Autism!   Cheryl's infatuation with running and her inability to make new friends.   Autism! And both of us liked the movies Napoleon Dynamite and Ghost World.  Finding humor where others do not...   OR failing to find humor in  things the general population finds funny.   Autism! 

Personally, I still remain skeptical at this self diagnosis.  But I have seen signs and often joked about having a mild case of autism in the past.   There was this one mythbusters episode where you were supposed to count the bouncing ball.  And half way through the task,  a man in a gorilla suit walks through the screen.  I IMMEDIATELY lose the count.  And curse myself for being distracted by the obvious gorilla man.  However,   THAT was the actual test.   I hear 50% of the people will not see the gorilla?  Perhaps it was higher.   

Too many Butterflies disturb my ability to focus.

Not sure if that is a good thing, showing Focus on the NOW..  Or a bad thing:  Being distracted by things that are not part of the task at hand.  This would explain why I was so bad in school... Or my job.   Or life! 

Are you wondering what one of the 16 signs that I missed?   The OCD habit and planning.   Cheryl has this.

Cheryl has issues.

She is obsessively cleaning and planning every move we make.  She even threw away my emergency fork after cleaning the car!  ( Who would do such a thing?)  I find OCD people irritating, personally.   I guess that is why I married one?   Does that mean I'm Autistic?   Probably.

Pearson Employees.

Another of the main red flags was when they mention that autistic people tend to hang out with other autistic people.   We work at Pearson!   Do I really need to explain it?   We called ourselves the "Island of the Misfit Toys."   A title we proudly wear and joke about, claiming it was a series of bad life choices that lead everyone with a college education to score at Pearson.   When, apparently,  it is because we are all Autistic in some form or another.  ( and boy, some of those folks obviously fit in that Autism category.)  

Now,  if you are offended by this post about Autism, Just think about how I feel!  I was happily  living in my world of ignorance and along comes You Tube telling me I'm Autistic.  And even though I find it hard to believe...  Some of the signs make perfect sense.  And I certainly have a lot of the red flags. 

So what now?   Do I use Autism to explain all the bad things in my life?   Or do I use it like a Rainman Super Power?   Perhaps we should go to Vegas and win  millions of dollars counting cards at the Blackjack tables.  But, I don't think I have that brand of Autism.   Besides, everyone knows that the house has the odds in their favor and statistically, you have a better chance at getting struck by lightning or getting hit by and asteroid than winning money from the Lottery.  I don't think being mathematically capable automatically makes me Autistic.   I just have to find out where my super power lies.... and then we will make lots of money and live happily ever after!  And I won't need an emergency fork in the Subaru anymore... It was plastic. 

A Rare Iowa Sunrise?

Every now and then, a sunrise or sun set captures me with its beauty.   This morning,  the cats woke me up to an unearthly pink sky with shades or orange and red and yellow near the horizon.  I tried to capture it with the crappy camera on the phone.   I wonder how it would have turned out if it has been a Nikon or Cannon of reasonable quality. 

Still.  I like it, and wanted to share. 

As for stockings.   Things settled down and we got caught up once more. I was able to answer all of the convos and show people their stuff.   Basically, we are ready for the big Turkey day.  Which is supposed to be very cold in the morning.  I had better dress warmly, as I will not be running .  

Hope everyone has a really great Holiday.   Just in case I do not get the opportunity to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving before the day actually arrives.   We shall see.    In the mean time... thanks for stopping in.