Rob and Kristi
And all the zaniness that ensues..
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Tick Tock

Apr21
2009
Rob Written by Rob

Good day yesterday, except for Kristi being sick with (we think) a strong allergic attack that had her knocked out all day. I had a followup dental appointment to check on my progress since having four root planings done in March; my gums seem to be healing up faster than anyone really expected. People started calling back on some of the cold calls I did last week. However, the really good news was finally closing on some real business: our first really solid new client of the year, as well as a really big chunk of work and a major success with a long term client. In one day we went from a worriedly slow April to a banner month. And after the rocky first quarter we’ve had this year, it was far more than welcome.

In other news, this morning we got the clock working again. Click through for photo and story.

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Posted in Everyday Life, Family and Friends, House and Yard, Work

Fast and Filling Chicken Vegetable Soup

Apr14
2009
Rob Written by Rob

Been a while since we’ve done one of these food things here. As always, the neverending battle against expensive convenience continues, and with the recent addition of a chest freezer to the homestead here, we plan to continue expanding our recipe list. So stay tuned.

This has been our most recent one. We started with a basic recipe offered by Kristi’s aunt Janelle and then (as we are wont to do) embellished, tinkered, rearranged and just generally co-opted it. It’s nutritious, very filling, cheap and easy to make, and actually tastes better when reheated for lunch the next day.


Fast and Filling Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 29oz can of kidney beans
1 29oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15oz can of black beans
2 or 3 chicken breasts, diced
1 zucchini
1/2 large yellow onion
Olive Oil (to taste)
Dried basil, salt, oregano, Old Bay seasoning (to taste)
Water (as needed)

This stuff’s really easy to make. Chop up the chicken, throw it into the pot with a bit of water and cook it thoroughly; I also sometimes use this as an opportunity to rid the freezer of leftover frozen turkey burger. Chop up the vegetables and throw them in once the chicken’s cooked. Then in goes the canned stuff: beans and diced tomato, along with water as needed.

Put a lid on it, stir occasionally and let it cook for about 20 minutes. When the zucchini has started to take on that translucent color that says it’s well cooked, take the temperature down to medium and start seasoning. I put olive oil in everything. Basil and oregano. You’re going to need salt. And Old Bay seems to give it a final twang that takes it home – or at least, that’s my opinion anyway.

Let it cook a little while longer (maybe 10, 15 minutes) as it begins to take on a gumbo-like thickness, and then it’s done. Serves four (or two, with two leftover lunches the next day). Very filling and goes great with garlic bread.

Enjoy!

Posted in Food

Getting Along, Getting By

Apr08
2009
Rob Written by Rob

This week’s Kristi’s spring break, and the first break she’s had since December that hasn’t been thoroughly ruined by threats of imminent doom chucked on her desk as she left work on Friday. It’s been nice. We’ve been sleeping in (at least compared to our customary 6am mad scramble) and tending to normal life. Normality has been a rare commodity around here in recent months.

Over the weekend, the Taylor family gathered at the grandparents’ house to decide what was going to whom. With Virginia’s passing, her husband Bob is moving in with Kristi’s parents; there’s been a lot of furniture and keepsakes and family heirlooms to rehome and relocate. We adopted most of their living room, a grandfather clock, a heavy writing desk, a chest freezer (which we’ve been needing for a long while) and assorted odds and ends. A lot of furniture has been packed and moved around Modesto and surrounding towns in the last few days. I’ll let Kristi tell the rest of that story.

Business has been picking up lately. For a couple months there – January to the beginning of March – things were getting scary out there. The way I describe it is that it’s as though the economy had a heart attack in January, spent all of February in ICU, and is now finally at home, still weak but stable and recovering. It’ll be a long while (maybe a year or more) before we see any recovery in the job market, but I think when all is said and done, they’ll say that this recession hit bottom in January and began recovering in March. But we’ll see. The important thing is that work is still coming in and we’re still seeing leads.

On the feline front, Tuck continues to get better. He’s gained weight and is acting more himself with each passing day. In a few days we need to re-up his meds, pick up some more Baytril.. I seriously doubted whether we’d be buying more drugs for him this time. But he’s still around and he’s getting by and it’s looking more and more like reports of his demise – again – have been greatly exaggerated.

No real storytelling or blog art in this R&K entry; I just wanted to drop in and let folks know what was going on.

Last bit. Heard this morning that Aaron Draper’s in the hospital, admitted to the ER last night with breathing problems. We know he reads this blog from time to time (though probably isn’t reading it at the moment).. dude, in case you are reading this, just know we’re thinking of you and hoping for the best. Get well – your camera’s still calling you!

Posted in Everyday Life, Family and Friends

Tuck + Tuna = Yum

Apr03
2009
Rob Written by Rob

funny-pictures-cat-pouts-and-wants-more-fish.jpg

(Courtesy of I Can Haz Cheezburger.)

Tuck seems to be putting on weight again. We’ve started doing again what I did way back when he was first diagnosed and given three months to live (four years ago) – feeding him human tuna. Only this time we’re combining it with this high octane vitamin goop that Kristi picked up at Petsmart. He’s been packing it all away.

Posted in The Animals
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