The Mastrad Ice Ball Molds are pretty cool, and are excellent for a lowball glass. These are easy to fill, and fit nicely in the freezer in the included stand. However, the set that I received to review had one of the four ice ball molds that didn't quite seal correctly, and in four tries, it leaked every time and created half an ice ball. At around $5 each, that would … [Read more...] about Mastrad Ice Balls Review
Do Fireworks Scare Plants?
It's the 4th of July, Independence Day, here in America, and I am pondering if fireworks scare plants. … [Read more...] about Do Fireworks Scare Plants?
Photo Garden Tour: End of June 2014
The 2014 garden is in full swing, and here are some photos from yesterday with some highlights of the current progress. This is my first year giving potatoes a whirl, and the Yukon Gold Potatoes are doing their thing. This is much of a learning process for me, but they are clearly growing, so we're at least that far. I'm hoping these turn out excellent, as everyone says home … [Read more...] about Photo Garden Tour: End of June 2014
For The Love of Jalapeños
I picked and cooked the first jalapeño of the season from the garden tonight. (The one in the middle, furthest back.) My oldest son took a bite and said that his "mouth was sweating". He had some milk, then he proceeded to have another. This is how we roll. … [Read more...] about For The Love of Jalapeños
Growing Peas in Indiana
Last year, well into the planting season, I decided to look into what it takes to grow peas here in Indiana. Looking around, the most valuable resource by far has been the Purdue University Consumer Horticulture website, specifically the Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (PDF) they publish. They state that peas should be planted, in the Indianapolis area, from March 20th … [Read more...] about Growing Peas in Indiana
Garden Update: June 18, 2014
Despite some setbacks due to two major hail storms, and just not enough time in the day, the 2014 garden is now in full swing. This year the veggie section was more than doubled, and is all in raised beds. For the most part this is setup as "square foot gardening", which makes things a whole lot easier to plan out, and I have my graphed Moleskine to prove it. Most of the … [Read more...] about Garden Update: June 18, 2014
Banshee at Kings Island
The world’s longest inverted roller coaster, "Banshee," opened in April at Kings Island, and I had a chance to ride it on Father's Day. Banshee runs on 4,124.1 feet of track and has seven inversions, taking you at speeds up to 68 miles per hour. From a rider perspective, Banshee was very comfortable and smooth. There was one section where you could feel the "G's", but it … [Read more...] about Banshee at Kings Island
Now Accepting Tax Refunds
I've seen multiple "tax refund" emails today from companies trying to push their goods to the people who suddenly think that they have "free money". I get that, but... It makes me wonder if the companies realize that not everyone gets a refund. AND, more importantly, that the ones who DO NOT get a tax refund, owe taxes because they actually made some money last year. Chances … [Read more...] about Now Accepting Tax Refunds
Tax Comments
They have all sorts of boxes to fill out on tax forms, but I've yet to find the proper one for comments. The government really sucks at communication. … [Read more...] about Tax Comments