tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94617402011-04-21T23:29:55.472+02:00Life is a journey, filled with adventures small and large. This is a small journal of mine... with stories, opinions, a little humor, even an occasional rant. DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.comBlogger341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1129548940837741872005-10-17T13:31:00.000+02:002005-10-17T13:35:40.846+02:00

Can you imagine a wireless hotspot, covering thousands of acres, out in the middle of (what some folks would call) nowhere?Well, it's been done, and for the average joe, it appears to be free, according to this bit from Wired News

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1122751577654349402005-07-30T21:17:00.000+02:002005-07-30T21:26:17.656+02:00

What is it about new cars that makes them so desirable? It's hard to put your finger on any one thing, but they sure are nice!And yes, I just bought a brand new little Renault Clio. After waiting some 7 weeks for delivery, it finally arrived. And then there was all the paperwork to go through. Because we are affiliated with the NATO base near here, we get lots of extra paperwork, and back and

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1122751003884685712005-07-30T20:46:00.000+02:002005-07-30T21:16:43.890+02:00

Last Sunday, the 24th, we joined some friends to jaunt down to Paris and watch the finish of Le Tour, around the cobbles of the Champs Elysees. It was quite the event, and I think we'll go back next year, just to enjoy the spectacle. This year, however, we mostly went to see Lance and cheer him on for his 7th Tour win. The weather forecast was for rain most of the day, but looking at the

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1118855940544418272005-06-15T19:19:00.000+02:002005-06-15T19:33:31.046+02:00

I happened to run across this Ramirez cartoon, posted at one of my favorite blogs... as they say, I was ROTFLMAO! With tears streaming from my eyes! I guess you've gotta' live in Europe to appreciate the humor (though, I've got to say that the European cars are actually pretty well built... In fact I am buying a new Renault Clio in a few weeks). But the whole image of the sudden "expirationof

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1118220889501261152005-06-08T10:44:00.000+02:002005-06-08T10:54:49.506+02:00

Envision this.... you look out your back window and all over your lawn, and floating all around through the air, you see flecks of white down, some small, some pretty good-sized fluffy clumps. You realize you have four cats that love to hunt, and fear that somehow they've managed to catch a large white bird in your backyard. The carnage must be horrible!I saw just that this morning, and had

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1118220246572929682005-06-08T10:01:00.000+02:002005-06-08T10:44:06.593+02:00

Well, it took a little longer than I had hoped to get the storage server up and running.After figuring out what parts I probably needed (I assumed the CPU was OK, and that the motherboard was fried), I placed an online order with my favorite vendor. Only thing is, after three days, I got a return e-mail saying that they'd cancelled my order, and that I should go back online, check my address and

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1116852348823176252005-05-23T14:26:00.000+02:002005-05-23T14:45:48.826+02:00

We went to a small gathering the other evening, to bid our adieus to a few folks who are soon departing Dorothy's organization. A nice evening, though the roast beef happened to be a little bit chewy.I'd spent a lot of the day at home, working on a new computer setup. I upgraded my existing computer, and then used leftover parts (plus some new) to build a storage server on our home network. It

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1109751034192524092005-03-02T09:10:00.000+01:002005-03-02T09:23:25.826+01:00

Woke up this morning to find this...in the back yard!About 3 weeks ago, the weather had turned warm, so I tuned up the bike and took it out for an easy 40 km ride along the canal. The temperatures were in the mid-50s (F), and it was all beginning to look like Spring had arrived.It was a cruel joke... no sooner had the flowers started to push up, and the trees began to form big plump buds, the

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1109095526678885942005-02-22T18:59:00.000+01:002005-02-22T19:05:26.680+01:00

But I just love the snow!Even though winter is definitely on the way out, here in Belgium, we've had several days now of off-and-on snow flurries. Usually never enough to cause traffic problems, and it's been just warm enough that it all disappears in a few hours.But I still love to watch the flakes come down. This afternoon I was looking out the window in-between bits of web-surfing, and was

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1107031467685560982005-01-29T21:39:00.000+01:002005-01-29T21:44:27.686+01:00

NEW LYRICS TO BEATLES SONGS - "YESTERDAY" Yesterday, All those backups seemed a waste of pay. Now my database has gone away. Oh I believe in yesterday. Suddenly, There's not half the files there used to be. And there's a milestone hanging over me. The system crashed, so suddenly. I pushed something wrong, What it was, I could not say. Now all my data's

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1106990519412759912005-01-29T10:09:00.000+01:002005-01-29T10:21:59.413+01:00

On Saturdays, the folks at Winds of Change run their series of "Good News," which usually includes a bit of Sufi wisdom. Some is serious, some sublime, some quite funny. And all have deeper levels that I must confess I don't always understand. Anyway, this tale of Nasrudin is a particularly good one, and I thought I would pass it on. Follow the link and enjoy! DRK

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1106901178873916612005-01-28T09:26:00.000+01:002005-01-28T09:37:17.666+01:00

While cruising a few internet web pages, I found a link that explains perfectly why I prefer the show "Junkyard Wars" to any of the "Survivor" programs. I thought I'd share... Ten reasons why being on "Junkyard Wars" is better than being on "Survivor": You don't have to eat rats. You don't even have to catch rats. Rats fear you. So does everyone and everything else. Your torch

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1105308915377850452005-01-09T22:04:00.000+01:002005-01-09T23:15:15.376+01:00

It was a gorgeous day in Belgium, today. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the thermometer registered a very comfortable 9C (about 48F), which is unseasonably warm. And there seems to be no relief in sight for this heat wave! I've been avoiding this little chore of the oil-change for a while, but there comes a time that you've just gotta' do it. I checked at the local garage to see what

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1104580560324992332005-01-01T13:42:00.000+01:002005-01-01T12:56:00.323+01:00

May you all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year! We had our usual quiet evening, starting out with a trip to church for an early vigil mass. Pretty light attendance, though much of the parish is probably away for the holidays. We watched a couple of movies while we nibbled on smoked salmon, cheese, and crackers. And we drank a little French apple cider (the hard variety), a little

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1104357758351492282004-12-29T23:02:00.000+01:002004-12-29T23:31:56.956+01:00

Just got back from a wonderful day walking through Antwerp, and enjoying the annual Ice and Snow Fête. We managed to miss a rain shower just as we arrived in town, then there was yet another while we spent some 90 minutes wandering following the long queue through the sub-zero exhibit tent. We dressed warmly, and were very glad that we did. The theme this year for the exhibits was Peter Paul

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1104007694007477742004-12-25T21:18:00.000+01:002004-12-25T21:48:14.006+01:00

We've had a beautiful Christmas, here in Belgium, and have been quite fortunate with the weather. Yesterday, Christmas Eve, it was dreary, with rain showers off and on for most of the day. The weather finally eased up in the late afternoon, and then came the wind. Gusty, blustery, cool but not icy, and no more rain. We drove to Mons for the Christmas Eve vigil mass held on SHAPE, and enjoyed a

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1103878580486292552004-12-24T09:48:00.000+01:002004-12-24T09:56:20.486+01:00

Thanks to David McC for passing this on... It was so good that I just had to share. 1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls. 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1103457283222640632004-12-19T13:44:00.000+01:002004-12-19T12:54:43.223+01:00

In my part-time job, I look after our local woodcrafts shop a few days every month. And, of course, one part of the job is tool maintenance. Well, I had a slow day (everyone seems to have finished holiday project) and started looking through the wood chisels in the tool cabinet. It seems the chisels had suffered a bit from an occasional drop to the concrete floor, and needed more than a little

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1103278224205085532004-12-17T11:10:00.000+01:002004-12-17T11:46:05.533+01:00

This is an old razor, from my Mom's side of the family, which I have repaired by replacing the handles... For a long time I had been interested in Straght-razors, but until about a year ago, I had not taken the plunge. New ones were expensive, and I'd heard lots of bad things about shaving with them (though, lots of good things, too). Then I discovered some internet resources on

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1103100534549110452004-12-15T09:54:00.000+01:002004-12-15T09:56:49.120+01:00

When daylight finally broke here in Belgium, I was greeted by this lovely scene in the back yard. The skies were temporarily clear, and everything was coated with a thin layer of frost. The past few days have been cold and dreary, so it was nice to get the dreary part over with, if only for a little while. Rain is supposed to return by the end of the day.

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102966706171712612004-12-13T20:34:00.000+01:002004-12-13T20:38:26.173+01:00

If you ever wanted to get a real bird's eye view, this is the place to do it! Follow Tillie's adventures! And thanks to ACE for finding this site.

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102708725383729972004-12-10T18:52:00.000+01:002004-12-10T20:58:45.383+01:00

Electricity in Europe is different... Ok, this is a long story, so bear with me. One of the things that really appealed to us about the house we rented in Tertre is the wonderful kitchen. It is huge by Belgian standards, and pretty nice by American standards, as well. Nice convection oven, vitroceramic cooktop, an electric grill, a steamer, and a deep fat fryer... all built in. Well, the

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102667047914404622004-12-10T09:00:00.000+01:002004-12-10T11:04:50.280+01:00

I'm off to the Christmas gathering of the Crafts Center, where I'm occasionally doing something I actually get paid (a little) for. Since this is a pot-luck affair, I am taking my apple crisp, which seems to go over pretty well. I'm always tinkering with this particular recipe, so I guess you could call it a work in progress. The origins of this recipe go back a few years to when I was living by

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102419704288184942004-12-07T13:33:00.000+01:002004-12-15T11:29:13.743+01:00

Maurine Dowd recently published what one might call a particularly spiteful piece on what she thinks of the Christmas season. Depressing stuff, and I'm not going to link to it. However... The Anchoress has posted a particularly eloquent and moving response to Ms. Dowd's column, which you can read here. It is truly a wonderful reminder of the spirit of Christmas. A warning, though... you are

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102422345819279852004-12-07T13:15:00.000+01:002004-12-07T13:25:45.820+01:00

I'm glad that I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where foggy days were common. The fog here in Belgium, today, is terrible. I was out driving earlier today to take a friend to a doctor's appointment, and later to attend a short meeting. If anything, the fog has become worse as the day has progressed. And it really messes up the traffic. The A-7 Autoroute passes through our area, and traffic

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102339066158097622004-12-06T14:08:00.000+01:002004-12-06T14:20:25.056+01:00

Just finished reading Sue Grafton's recent book R is for Ricochet. Stayed up to near-midnight last night, then finished it off in another couple of hours this morning. A good read, and Grafton is definitely back in her stride with this book. An outlook for a better future for most of the "good" guys at the end (while the most of the bad-guys get their just desserts). Although she has slowed the

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102316677287042232004-12-06T07:54:00.000+01:002004-12-06T08:04:37.286+01:00

I found this wonderful thing while browsing a favorite weblog, and just couldn't resist it. It's pretty good, and satisfies at least part of the craving. If only they could provide the tactile experience to go with it! Drive your co-workers crazy! And a hat tip to Ace

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102269756682082792004-12-05T19:02:00.000+01:002004-12-07T14:40:20.733+01:00

Ah, yes... I did used to have a beard!

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102267624759135052004-12-05T18:20:00.000+01:002004-12-05T18:27:04.760+01:00

Just got back from the Christmas Concert presented by the SHAPE Jazz Orchestra. A very enjoyable mix of traditional and contemporary Christmas music. I'm always pleased by the quality of the musical talent, and this show was no exception. Though the orchestra is mostly American, Italy and Estonia were also represented.

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102186335748126452004-12-04T19:48:00.000+01:002004-12-04T20:02:45.140+01:00

My brother Ted sent me an e-mail the other day, with a list of puns. I thought they were pretty funny, so I'll share: Two vultures board an airplane, each carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at them and says, "I'm sorry, gentlemen, only one carrion allowed per passenger." Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102181289882689352004-12-04T18:24:00.000+01:002004-12-04T18:28:09.883+01:00

Looked out the back window this morning, and saw a pic vert poking around in what passes for our lawn, looking for grubs. The pic vert is a largish woodpecker, with georgeous green (almost parrot green) feathers and a brilliant red patch on the top of his head. They are pretty shy and wary, so I don't worry too much about our cats catching

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102184637289894312004-12-04T14:31:00.000+01:002004-12-04T19:23:57.290+01:00

Oh, how I love the smell of Christmas... especially the aroma of butter, vanilla, and spice wafting out of the kitchen. Dorothy is making her first batch of the season, and I can't help but sneak in an grab a couple fresh from the oven. Mmmmmmm!

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102184279809232742004-12-03T22:21:00.000+01:002004-12-04T19:20:19.676+01:00

Woke up this morning to clear skies and frost on the ground. The mercury dropped to about -3C as the sun came up. Considering the weather we've had for the past few weeks, this is pretty nice! Dorothy and I switched cars for the day, as the Volvo has a burned-out headlamp (and it's pretty dark when she heads out in the AM). I had to go find the owners manual, then spend quite a while working my

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9461740.post-1102184046452608932004-12-03T21:58:00.000+01:002004-12-04T19:14:06.453+01:00

Just got signed up for my own blogging page. A little bit of a journal, a little bit of a rant, and (I hope) a little humor now and then

DaveKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096248531587175647noreply@blogger.com0