First off - I admit it - I like hot sauce. I'm not as crazy as some of my friends who will claim any hot sauce I make is not "that" hot -- but -- I do like it spicey. I also like to use whatever fruits/vegtables I can grow. At the moment I've got baskets of various tomatoes (from my deck), and a variety of really hot peppers (from my plant room).

The second admission is that I'm not a chef, and I don't follow recipes. I cook by guessing what should go in, and what smells like it should go in.

So here's what I tossed into the blender:

3 Naga Morich peppers (small)
1 small onion
1/4 cup cilantro
2 cup of tomatoes chopped
3/4 tbsp lemon
3/4 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt

After I got that blended to a sauce, I just reduced it down on the stove -- et voila -- hot sauce. I tested it with a few nachos and it was pretty good... tomorrow I'll see what the coworkers have to say about the latest episode in the kitchen.

Until tomorrow I'll just keep moving on,

Turtle??

I've been pretty quiet lately on here - but - all things seem to be coming up Millhouse.

The news? I'm a multi-bike owner again.

Last year I started getting into doing track days, did the race school, got my race licence, and I was preparing to ride my CBR F4 this season in the Sportsman class. I started picking up parts to make that a reality, and then, I found a race bike for sale at the right time/place/price.

It couldn't have been more perfect - and now a 2005 CBR 600RR (with 2008 HRC motor, amazing suspension, and all the bells and whistles done) is sitting in my little tiny shed right next to my F4.

I'm hoping that in May when I go to take the RR to the race track I find little baby bikes in there.

My house plant collection is growing... I've already got a coffee plant happily growing in my window, and now have ordered some tea seeds to go in next to it. Last night I ordered a few different things. Lemon balm (makes a very soothing tea), cumin for cooking, Eucalyptus (for talking to ??! ), a few new varieties of tomatoes (because they are nom-alicious), Echinacea and a new variety of cilantro. Oh and stevia... which has a very sweet leaf you can use as a sugar replacement.

The other thing that I planted more of was Brazilian Rainbow Peppers. They're nice and hot, and dry nicely to make a cayenne replacement/supplement. They're a small perennial bush - perfect as a house plant.

It is one of those little hobbies... fun to see what you can get to grow in a pot. Plus the fresh herbs taste fantastic in cooking.

I grew up on a farm - went through the Scouts program and Cadets (school mandated) and did all of the 'bush craft' programs. The woods was always something I loved. Fast forward - slogging through school, living in the 'city', then working in an office... and 10 years later you realize that you've really forgotten all of the things you used to do and loved.

So the past few months I think I've spent one or two days per week playing in the woods. This past sunday I pulled my chest waders out... pulled out my portable stove, a pot, and a frying pan. Off we go. My buddy had reason to check out some lakes and rivers so I spent the day chest deep in near freezing water.

Lunch time rolls around and we build a nice little camp fire... put the pan on the nice coal bed and cooked baked beans and boiled water for tea. It is the middle of November, the sun is out... we're miles from anything describable on the map... what a perfect day. Just one of those moments when the day to day rush stops - and you just enjoy life.

I did put aside thoughts of camping out that night - but maybe next time.

Sept 11 was supposed to be the last weekend at the track for the year... however we have a bonus day on October 11th (this Sunday).

I'm currently waiting for my new wheels, and I don't have race rubber on my current wheels.

I'm debating blowing it off - and I don't know why. I love the track, but for some reason I don't have the heart to take the bike apart again and swap yet another set of tires on, and buy yet another set of soft tires. At the same time - I'm mentally running laps right now, trying to gain some seconds here and there. If I had my new wheels - perhaps that would change things?

What to do - what to do?

(Oh there are other more complicated issues in my life, but I'm avoiding them until the motorcycle is put away for the year)

It is raining outside, so while I am inside I day dream of being outside.

The leaves are changing and it is now the best time of the year to be walking in the woods.

Walking on the trails is fine... but having grown up on a farm and spending my childhood running through our own woods... walking off the trail is certainly more fun. We grew up with the car horn being used for a dinner bell.

I have always loved the smell of the woods... and when you get used to it, the undlating terrain is easy to run on. You just have to vary your stride to hop from one mound to the next. Over the next fallen tree... down the bank and along the ravine. I often find myself face to face with various surprised animals... last weekend I accidentally got with 20' of a deer. She was drinking from the brook and hadn't heard me coming.

Just a magical place...

So the summer has wound down and fall is starting to take its grip. In some ways this is the end of one "year" and the start of  a new one. Summer activities have had their farewell parties, and hockey season has just begun.

The big news I guess is that I've found a new job. I'll be starting next week, and I'm pretty excited. Better benefits, more room to move up, and what seems like a great work environment. So I'm very excited to start. At the same time I'm leaving my job of 8 years and this week will be a week of wrapping up my old projects, handing off current projects, and saying goodbye.

I think the hardest part of goodbye is knowing how you're suppose to act or what you're supposed to say. I'm honestly happy to be moving to a new job, and I'm honestly sad in a way to leave what I have done for so long. I can't really hide that the excitement out weighs the sadness in anyway. (Actually find it humorous in a way that people present themselves as overly sad.  I guess I don't get it.)

In a way (and I realize many people will frown at this... perhaps you were in this boat and know how little fun it really is), I was hoping to be laid of for a month or two before finding new work. I wanted a while to unwind, do some selfish things... honestly I've got a new camera and I wanted to spend the fall in the woods deer "hunting". (Another tangent - but I'll quickly digress if anyone cares to, but I am a meat eater. I have grown up on a farm. I believe that it is better to know where the animal has come from, and know that it has had a good life. I believe that it is better to eat something you know that was killed humanely and unwastefully. I have no problem hunting for food as long as the species is populous and healthy. Currently deer is over populated so I believe that selective hunting causes no harm to the population - I leave the young healthy animals and if chance provides the right animal then I will take it. Only one, and I do the work myself. I realize that it might sound gory - but that's what meat is. I think it is a lie to eat it without admitting how it got on the plate)

So - new job.

I've also been taking under the wing of several local am/pro motorcycle racers. This has been my first track season and I've learned a lot, asked questions and had a lot of fun. They've been very very helpful and so Oct 11th will be exciting. It is the last last track day of the year and I hope it sets me up to do a complete Am. season next year.

Gotta jet - going to be late for a meeting.

Cheers all!

I just finished putting my bike back together for this weekends track time. That will be the 6th time this year I've had it completely apart and put it back together again.. it will also be the 5th time I've changed my own tires.

I've got a new job lined up - while just today one of my friends insisted I apply at their company over in PEI. Just last weekend I was contemplating moving there without a job and now one could be on the horizon. Despite what appears as the stars aligning I think I'll stay where I am and take the job I found myself... that is if the offer is nice.

Otherwise the roller coaster ride is continuing its path - and we shall see where it is taking me sooner rather than later - I hope.

Fall is definately here. First the air temperatures dropped off, the nights got longer, and now the return of college kids. Sometimes I forget what time of year it is - but then I'm reminded by REALLY REALLY young people going to college that it must be September - that and traffic instantly goes from nice summer commutes to winter commutes.

Life is what you make it and Friday I plan to be at 120mph grinning ear to ear and listening to my baby scream FASTER.

Sigh - good to see some familiar faces posting away - missed ya.

Going to see if I can find an abandoned lake... I've put my tent, stove, and cowboy coffee into the car.

Nothing like 5am... an empty lake and a fresh black coffee. Only thing better would be company - although this time I'm happy to be alone and see what the lake has to say.

Create a bunch of Second Life accounts, featuring ethnically and gender diverse qualities.

Log them all into a class room.

Take a picture.

Why? The current class picture isn't diverse enough for a proposal my boss is working on.

A new low... now to install SL on a room full of computers.