When in Doubt…Try Flying a Kite…Again!

Ok,  so you may have heard by now that our week has been kind of stressful.  The threat of Broken vehicles, Labyrinthian City Roads, Confusing and Sporatic Public Transit,  Tear Gas, and Molotov cocktails should be enough to drive anyone to having an extra Honey Brown each night.  But instead of turning to alcoholism,  I decided to give the kite flying another go. (Besides,  I want to enjoy the Honey Brown as long as possible…and that means a certain level of restraint and rationing.)

So I’ve decided to give up on the Stunt Flyer Kite for now…I attempted it once again out in the farm land.   The Wind there is “usually” pretty steady….but no dice.  Stunt Flyer simply needs a different area or wind velocity.   Instead,  I decided I would make my own kite out of simple household items I have lying around.  The design I settled for was one from Viet Nam.  Ok, I’m not sure if they are the “first” people to come up with the design…but I’ll give them credit. 

Two sticks and some paper and tape.   That is it.   No fancy frame or plastic fabrics.   I was not even sure how it would turn out, being a rather simple crafter myself.  I figured I would be out about a $1 worth of materials if things did not work out.

I was quite pleased when the thing actually flew in my own backyard!    It was rough going since the wind never was very steady this afternoon.   Add in the fact that I’m surrounded by trees here in the yard.  The wind has only a couple of places it can actually travel through before forming an eddy and whirling around.  Nonetheless,  I managed to keep it airborne for several minutes at a time.   I actually had a little more control over it than expected.   Basically,  it was fun….and I probably spent a couple of hours pretending to be a kid again.  I did not even know Cheryl had snuck out and took pictures of me!

Other than that,  Cheryl has discovered that making Sushi at home is much more fun and economical than buying it from HyVee.   Don’t get me wrong,  HyVee sushi guys do a great job….it is just rather expensive.   After Several YouTube Videos,   I must have convinced Cheryl to take the plunge and actually try to make some herself.   You see.. She won’t eat mine…because I apparently put in things she does not like. 

After only a few attempts,  she has become pretty good at it.   She has even started making up her own “Designs”….to make the Sushi more “Marathoner Friendly”.  I have to admit that the fruit sushi is pretty tasty.  ( cream cheese, strawberries, Kiwi)

As for me,   pretty much put in whatever I have available.   Avocado, smoked salmon, cucumber, carrots; just about anything. I may try sometimes to be more “artistic” with an experimental garnish now and then.   But they pretty much all look the same.  

So,  Next time you are having a stressful week…..perhaps you should try to look back on your childhood and find those things that made you happy…( Or in my case…always wanted to try as a kid) and do that.  maybe you will find something that will work out….if not,  hey!  At least it was fun right?

And to finish this post,  I have been watching a new Anime on Crunchyroll.   I’m not sure what the true name of it is..   Either Gun Buster or Die Buster.   Perhaps the name is lost in translation somehow.   But, what ever the name….I have decided it is a “worthy” anime and I will continue to watch it.   More importantly…the Ending Theme Song has captured me.  It sounds like a mix of ‘80 and 90’s songs….but I can’t dissect it. I have simply been playing over and over again to drive Cheryl crazy.   So see if you can figure out the connections….Enjoy the song on You Tube.           

Bubble Trouble With The Neighbor.

Men never really grow up...right? 

Flying kites in the yard. 

It has been well documented by the blog, that I am  still just a kid when it comes to playing around with toys and bugs and things make messes.  I must admit, I am painfully aware of how it looks when a "man" of my years is out in the park playing with kites,  chasing butterflies with a net, and catching frogs and snakes with his bare hands.  I see the people pointing and whispering to each other.

Cheryl makes things
seem less weird...

Is this strange?  Only if I do it alone. 

Luckily,  I have Cheryl to even out the oddness.   One guy alone in the park flying a kite is odd and weird.   But a guy flying a kite while his wife watches is merely "Eccentric".    I like that take.   Even though it simply means:  Weird, but in a good way... And  mostly harmless.

With that lead in I will begin to explain the odd chain of events that got me to consider blowing bubbles as a "fun thing to experiment with" today.  Why bubbles?   I shall explain the long thought process that plagues me during sleepless nights.

Is this an actual Career?!? 

I was watching a "Ted Talk" about "Bubble Masters"  ( People who blow bubbles on stage.. for a LIVING!  Who the heck was this guy's career counselor?)   They are able to perform feats of bubble magic by using a "super secret Family recipe for bubble making... passed down from generation to generation!"   The recipe is carefully guarded..  or so they say.

What Methylcellulose does to
water. 

This got me to thinking:   I bet the secret ingredient is methylcellulose  The Same ingredient I use for making paper.   I happened to have a large stash of it and thought I would mix some up and give it a test run.

As it happens,   there is a kid upstairs... Who is NOT my friend and  I do not like...  very much. ( Really!)  He decided to join my in my bubble experiment in the yard.   And wouldn't it just happen that he had an entire "kit" for making large bubbles.  ( Tray, bubble wand, and so on.)  All he was missing was the liquid for making the bubbles.    Can you say Serendipity?

Well,  I must say that I was feeling like the mixture was a success!   I may have to tweak the ratios a bit, but the bubbles were quite large and able to hold their shape for a good duration.   I believe it was superior to simply adding soap to water and hoping for the best.

That is...  When "The Kid "wasn't  busy chasing the bubbles and breaking them.      I actually thought he would want to "make the bubbles"  but I guess he has more fun chasing and popping them.   I guess I can understand... Who doesn't like popping the bubbles in bubble wrap?

I finally talked him into trying to catch them with his hands.   ( WithOUT popping them.)   It appears the only thing funner than chasing the bubbles and popping them was chasing the bubbles  with slimy hands so he could catch them.

Thankfully,  the mixture ran out just  as he was getting bored.  I believe the experiment was a success despite  his help. And maybe, on a day when the Humidity is high and the temps are cool,  I will adjust the ratios of the mixture again and see if I can make the bubbles larger and longer lasting.   I guess the kid helps in diverting attention from a middle aged man playing with bubbles.   Possibly better than Cheryl.  That being said,   I doubt I will be knocking on his door for advice on bubbles or snowmen anytime soon. 

Novel Progress Report; Over 10,000 words!

    It may sound impressive, but I actually started at 6000 words.   I’m impressed I have added over 4000 words and now have some solid footing to stand on.  To be fair, the first several days were re-reading and deleting large chunks and re-writing them.    I guess you could say I have added more, but the final word count is what the goal is.

So.   What is the novel about?    Caves, drug use, sex, and DRAGONS!   I know,  Dragons?    Hey,  I used to play a LOT of Dungeons and Dragons when I was a kid.  And I read the Hobbit about a HUNDRED TIMES!   So yeah…there’s gonna  be dragons!  

It’s funny that at only 10,000 words I have barely gotten started.  I get pep-E-Mails from the National Novel Writers that try to boost up your spirits and keep you motivated.   I have to tell myself that this is a “ROUGH draft”    so I can afford to be a little sloppy and let the grammar suffer if it allows me to complete the 50.000 words by the end of the month.   Add in the Holidays, and just getting that many words  within this month is still a going to be a daunting task. 

So why am I wasting precious writing time on the blog?   Well,  I need to take a break at the moment and I figure that this check in keeps me focused on the bigger picture.   As if I’m making a progress report….for/to myself.  ( Or at least the “ME” that is cracking the whip.) 

So,  Perhaps I’ll drop more tidbits of novel structure as I have more written down ( or I should say,  Typed Down) But for now:   Caves!   SEX!   Dragons…..And over 10,000 words!  YEAH!   I may actually finish this one this time!  

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.   The weather is supposed to turn south here over the next couple of days.   Meaning, it is going to be colder and rainy.   Sounds like a bad time to fly a kite and run….but that probably will not stop us.   We shall see.

And The Cat Came Back! On a Cold and Misty Day....

Leo Has Returned! 

Leo has Returned!   What was it?  Three WEEKS?    We had almost given up on him ever being allowed to visit us ever again.   Cheryl said if he had not returned when he did,  he might have had to share the "Allen Family Time" with a new kitten!  ( And that is sayin' something!)   I have been going outside and checking for him at his usual arrival times and just before I head to bed and he simply was no where to be found.    But he did show up....  Not damaged or thin in anyway... leading me to believe that his other family must have had him in the kennel or something while they visited family or went on vacation.   I have this theory because that is exactly what happened to my Brother's Cat when they lived in Flint.  Some nice old lady did not wan the cat to go hungry or be out in the cold while she was away,   so she took it to the Kitty Hilton Kennel for safe keeping.

Cheryl was very happy....  He looks like a Teddy Bear.

Leo was all cuddles last night.  I think he missed us almost as much as we missed him.   Hiro was pretty mad at him at first.   But eventually he curled up next to him  as they both slept... Both ON TOP OF ME!   And he did not whine like normal to get outside, although he did want to get back to exploring when we finally woke up.   I'm just happy he is safe and has not been eaten by a coyote or badger or something. 

Running In Muscatine.

Fall is in the air!

We visited Muscatine today and ran along the Mississippi  while it drizzled ever so slightly.   It certainly looks and feels like it is Fall already.   Changing colors, falling leaves, and migrating birds are everywhere.

Cooler temps. 

Wetter Weather.

 Subie said it was in the upper 40's and we could see our breath as we ran and biked.   Other than Running and Pizza,  we did not really have much else to do in Muscatine, but it is always a nice place to "get away" to.

Yet we run in the mist. 

Great Conditions for Bubbles! 

One of the perks of the misty weather is that  making bubbles now has en entirely new dimension!  You would think that falling rain would cause the bubbles to break apart and they floated in the air...but just the opposite!   In fact,  the Bubbles now have a longevity and distance that rivals the kite flying!   We were walking to the park last night and I was letting the slight breeze blow the bubbles as we walked.   Cheryl turned around and saw a bunch of kids playing in the cloud of bubbles we were leaving in our wake!    Kind of funny.

The bubbles are longer lasting. 

The Kids were playing in the
bubbles behind us. 

My goal is to make a bubble that will cause the neighbors several houses down to wonder what they are seeing.   The bubbles DO kind of look like UFO's as they fly up high in the sky.   And seriously!  Who ever sees bubbles that large and that high in the sky?   Normally the bubbles only last a few seconds or maybe a half a minute at best.

Extra sugar, glycerin, Dawn, and
Methylcelulose. 

Is that a UFO? 

But I have been tweaking this bubble recipe and finally got some seriously long lasting bubble mixture.  With a slight breeze,  they can blow across the road and over several houses.   I can only imagine the damp weather helps a great deal.  In fact,  they can hit the fence and land on the grass and not break!   Some of the bubbles just hang out on the lawn for several minutes before eventually popping.  I think the amount of Corn syrup in the recipe  is a factor.

An

Back to sewing buttons 

Otherwise,   Cheryl and I began the Christmas Stocking rush!   We just finished 8 stockings and Cheryl worked on about a half dozen requests for people.   I was expecting a slow wind up, but already things are off to a wild start.  I should be grateful ( well,  technically, I am!)   But Cheryl still wants time to work on her soaps and I have to reorganize my area to get all the cutting and sewing stuff ready.    I will not be able to  film, fold, or make more bubble goo until the Christmas Rush is over.    If that is the case, then I hope we will have enough sales to double our income this year!   ( Shouldn't be hard... what with that Pandemic and all....)

Cheryl is overjoyed!   Can you tell? 

Hope everyone is staying warm this middle of the week.   We certainly needed the rain  and I'm looking forward to maybe squeeze in a Mushroom hunt somewhere in the near future.   Fingers crossed!

Thanks for stopping in.