Jason and Codi - Life in Oregon

Trashed House

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:45:42 +0000

While out taking vineyard photos today, I came across an old house that had been nearly torn apart by harsh weather and vandals. Funny thing is that the house is so far out in the country. It’s hard to imagine vandalism happening out there. Bummer. Cool photo, though.

Best BBQ in Years!

admin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:43:51 +0000

With my wife on an out-of-town trip for a little while, I’ve been doing lots of fix-it projects around the house, paint touchups, changing light bulbs, etc. I have also taken advantage of being able to go to some of the more redneck eating establishments in town. First stop was, of course, Buster’s BBQ! I had baby back ribs and brisket with BBQ beans and coleslaw. The brisket and ribs were amazing - easily the best I’ve had in 5 years or more. Wow! No exaggeration.

Needless to say, I was the only guy in the BBQ joint with an iPhone taking pictures of brisket.

More Good Quotes, Famous Quotes

Jason — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:40:44 +0000

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.
Ferdinand Foch

Everything is funny as long as it is happenning to soebody else.
Will Rogers

Whoever is happy will make others happy too.
Anne Frank

If you can’t convince them, confuse them.
Harry Truman

The unexamined life is not worth living.
Socrates

Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln

It is easy when we are in prosperity to give advice to the afflicted.
Aeschylus

The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good.
Abigail Van Buren

Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.
J.R.R. Tolkien

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
George Santayana

Shallow men believe in luck, wise and strong men in cause and effect.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the spiderweb of facts, many a truth is strangled.
Paul Eldridge

Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.
Thomas Jefferson

The basis of a democratic state is liberty.
Aristotle

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.
Peter Drucker

Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.
Benjamin Franklin

Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends.
Benjamin Disraeli

The intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous, the sensible man hardly anything.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Vote early and vote often.
Al Capone

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas Edison

He who does not thank for little will not thank for much.
Estonian proverb

The superior man is modest in his speech, but excels in his actions.
Confucius

The body says what words cannot.
Martha Graham

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.
George Washington

Ou patience will achieve more than our force.
Edmund Burke

What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.
Samuel Johnson

The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.
Thomas Macaulay

Passion, though a bad regulator, is a powerful spring.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

One’s work may be finished some day, but one’s education never.
Alexandre Dumas

Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds.
George Eliot

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do.
Dale Carnegie

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.
Indira Gandhi

There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.
French proverb

Money is like an arm or leg: use it or lose it.
Henry Ford

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin

BBQ Grilled Leg of Lamb

Jason — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:48:55 +0000

What a treat! Fresh Oregon lamb, right off the farm - grazing Monday, on the grill Wednesday! I made this 4 pound leg of lamb in a very simple way - rubbed with plenty of olive oil, salt, hand-crushed pepper, fresh picked rosemary and a large handful of fresh garlic, then grilled to perfection. Whoa - good stuff!

Chocolate Covered Oregon Strawberries

Jason — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:32:15 +0000

Our friend Jerry has a huge farm where all kinds of goodies are grown. Codi and I were given a big assortment of fresh-picked, organic Oregon strawberries. We had a big block of Swiss chocolate in our pantry, so Codi got the bright idea to whip up a very large, high calorie batch of a-m-a-z-i-n-g chocolate covered strawberries. They only lasted 2 days. Frankly, it’s surprising they lasted that long! (I had some for breakfast!)

Amazing eBay Auction for $50 bill

Jason — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:48:27 +0000

Someone actually bid on this item and paid $59.99 for it! Optional $3 shipping! Wow.

I love the safety line - “I will not scam you.”

Airline Prices are Ludicrous!

Jason — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:19:18 +0000

I was checking some airline prices for a summer trip to Florida when I stumbled upon this doozy. What is Alaska Airlines thinking? A year ago, Codi and I headed back east for about $350 round trip - for the both of us! This represents a 2000% increase. Bull-honkey.

lu·di·crous
1 : amusing or laughable through obvious absurdity, incongruity, exaggeration, or eccentricity
2 : meriting derisive laughter or scorn as absurdly inept, false, or foolish
3 : Alaska Airlines’ pricing scheme

Portland Rose Gardens

Jason — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:28:27 +0000

It was a gorgeous pre-summer day, so Codi and I headed out to the Portland Rose Gardens to enjoy some outside time, take some photos, etc. The sun was extra bright, so pictures didn’t come out quite like I’d hoped. Some of them are pretty decent, though. Here are a few examples:

Festival of Balloons & Carnival Rides

Jason — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:56:10 +0000

Codi and I went to the Allstate Festival of Balloons with four friends and their G-Force loving kids. Although there were no balloons at the festival while we were there, we had a great time going on some of the carnival rides. We took some good photos, but this quick and jerky video probably gives the best impression.

(The video was taken with a pocket-sized Vado camcorder made by Creative Labs. $99. Not bad. The original video is cleaner. Conversion to Flash dropped the quality quite a bit.)

Restaurant Warning Signs

Jason — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:16:00 +0000

I had a hankering for BBQ the other day, so I stopped by a rather popular BBQ restaurant. It was highly recommended. As soon as I arrived, I noticed some things that I should have paid better attention to.

1. Hand written sign on door: “Jiggle door handle. It’ll open.”
2. Inside restaurant: distinct smell of cats.
3. Quote from chef/cashier: “I’m so nervous. I’m here all by myself.”
4. 75% of the people who walked in, looked around and left rather quickly.

I toughed it out and got my BBQ sandwich. Sharp stomach ache followed about 15 minutes later. Woops.