First Day of Sixth Grade

// September 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Medea, NIHF:STEM, Ohio, family, life the universe and everything, news, personal

Middle school at the NIHF:STEM school. 

How to Save Spaghetti Squash Seeds

// August 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects, china, personal

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash, which can be eaten in a variety of ways, is simple to grow in the garden, provided you have the space for the long vines that the plant produces. Saving the seed from spaghetti squash for growing the next year is a simple process. If you plan to keep seeds from the current harvest, you should plant the squash in an area away from other varieties of squashes to prevent cross-pollination.

Things You’ll Need:

• Sharp knife
• Heavy spoon
• Wire mesh colander
• Paper towels
• Newspaper
• Envelope
• Glass jar with lid

How to Collect Seeds

1. Make sure to select a healthy squash to ensure the seed will produce healthy plants.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place the mesh colander in the sink or on your workspace.
3. Pick up one of the squash halves and hold it over the colander. Use a big spoon to scoop out the seeds from the center of the squash, allowing them to fall into the colander.
4. Layer paper towels or newspaper on the counter near your sink. Run the seeds under cool water to separate the seeds from the fibrous ribbons holding them together in big gobs.
5. Place the clean seeds on the paper towels or newspaper in a single layer. Use a paper towel to pat, pat, pat the top of the seeds dry.
6. Transfer the seeds to dry paper towels or newspaper and place the seeds in a dry, cool area to finish drying. The seeds should be dry in approximately a week.
7. Place the dried seeds into an envelope, label and seal. Store the seeds in a closed jar or in the refrigerator until planting time.

Other Information

Spaghetti squash can be baked and served plain as a side dish, or you can fork the strands of the squash out and serve with pasta sauce.

I did something that was a long time coming…

// August 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, family, life the universe and everything, magick, narcissism, personal, sad, spirit, warriors of the light, wisdom

I deleted bookmarks, rss feeds, alerts and any other half-arsed way of keeping tabs on someone who is no good.

Notice I didn’t say “no good for me” or something like that.  I said “no good.” And it takes me a lot to get to that point.  I think just about everyone in this world is a lost spark of Divinity trying to find its way back home.  I think almost everyone is redeemable.  I have never believed that anyone could truly be reprobate.

But this one changed my mind on that.  I know this person is no good for me.  I have months and months of evidence to support that theory.  But now, I’ve seen their history and their current actions and realize that this person has no substance save for the illusion and lies they spin to get good-natured people to support their lives.

Still, every so often something would pop up and I’d learn a little tid bit of what they were up to.  Inside I held in reserve an irrational hope that they would some day be bonked on the head by an enlightenment that would bind their consciousness to their action and they would become good- natured as well.

…and maybe that will happen.

But not on my watch.  I have currently set marques out their to make sure that this person can in no way interfere with me or my families serenity, peace, ambition or dedication to service.  Let them be.  Pray that they will be revealed in quick turn so they cannot siphon off resources and hard-earned efforts of other compassionate people.

But it’s in the Universes hands now.

And in the two weeks since I’ve thrown up the “denial-of-service” to all the negative BS in my life I have to say it’s been quite peaceful.

And joyous.

And it was a good move.

AS IT IS…SO BE IT

First, alligators in Summit Lake, now Piranahs in Portage Lakes?

// August 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, life the universe and everything, personal

it’s a crazy, crazy world.  Twice in the past years, alligators have been found in NE Ohio’s Summit Lake.  Now, in our Portage Lakes a cousin to the piranha has been found:

Deadliest catch? Not really. But girl gets bragging rights

Exotic fish related to piranha caught in Portage Lakes by 9-year-old

By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Tuesday, Aug 03, 2010

NEW FRANKLIN: This is one fish tale that has some real teeth.

Nine-year-old Mackenzie Dalton tossed a line with a bobber and a big fat worm into the muddy brown water in the Portage Lakes on Saturday and pulled out a frightening catch: a red bellied pacu, a fish that is a cousin to a piranha.

”I was like freaking out,” the little girl from Mayfield Village said Monday.

The catch happened on the dock at Baine’s Pier 619 Pontoon Rentals on Stutz Avenue.

The dock is on the Turkeyfoot Channel between West Reservoir and Turkeyfoot Lake in New Franklin.

The girl had been fishing with her grandparents and some cousins for a few hours and had caught nothing while out on a pontoon boat.

But when she threw her line in off the dock, she pulled in a foot-long, one-pound fish.

”The fish started jumping at me,” said the fourth-grader at Center Elementary in Mayfield Village.

The catch offers an interesting twist to a long-standing joke started by Roy Baine, 60, owner of the pontoon rental place.

A few years ago, he put up a sign and a dispenser to sell fish food for a quarter. The sign on the dispenser offers visitors the chance to ”Feed the Portage Lakes Piranha.”

Visitors toss the food into the lake and blue
gills typically pop up to feed.

Baine said he never guessed something more exotic was swimming below.

”I have never seen anything like it,” said Baine, who for many years ran an old-time photo studio called Magic Lantern at Quaker Square.

Matt Wolfe, fisheries biologist for the Portage Lakes office of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, said the fish was probably tossed into one of the lakes by someone who no longer wanted to keep feeding it in a home aquarium as it got bigger and bigger.

”More often than not,” he said, fish like the one Mackenzie caught ”get so big in people’s aquariums and they eat so much they just dump them into the lake.”

One time, he said, during a routine survey of fish in the Portage Lakes, a 3-foot koi was discovered.

”Most of your aquarium trade fish die off in the wintertime,” he said.

Piranhas and pacus cannot survive cold Ohio winters, he said.

Pacus are vegetarians and even though they have sharp teeth and look intimidating, Wolfe said, ”all they do is shred vegetation.”

The fish reportedly can reach a maximum of 42 inches long and live up to 15 years.

Baine said he took a look at the mouthful of teeth on Mackenzie’s fish, which he is keeping in a plastic tub at his dock, and it looked like he was staring into a human’s mouth.

”It’s teeth look like perfect human dentures,” he said.

Baine is not sure what to do with the fish. He would like it to find a new home with a fish collector who has a big enough aquarium to keep it.

Mackenzie’s mother, Kerri Setlock, said she thought her daughter was ”pulling [her] leg” when she told her she caught the fish.

Mackenzie said she fishes a lot and this is the most impressive fish she has ever caught. And now she has the fish story of a lifetime to tell.

”When I grow up, I will tell my kids and my kids will tell their kids and it will go on for generations,” she said.

---

Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.

Roy Baine holds a Red Belly Pacu caught outside his Boat Rentalplace Pier 619 on Turkeyfoot Lake on Monday, Aug. 2, 2010, of Akron, Ohio. (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal)

View larger version>>

NEW FRANKLIN: This is one fish tale that has some real teeth.

Nine-year-old Mackenzie Dalton tossed a line with a bobber and a big fat worm into the muddy brown water in the Portage Lakes on Saturday and pulled out a frightening catch: a red bellied pacu, a fish that is a cousin to a piranha.

”I was like freaking out,” the little girl from Mayfield Village said Monday.

The catch happened on the dock at Baine’s Pier 619 Pontoon Rentals on Stutz Avenue.

The dock is on the Turkeyfoot Channel between West Reservoir and Turkeyfoot Lake in New Franklin.

The girl had been fishing with her grandparents and some cousins for a few hours and had caught nothing while out on a pontoon boat.

But when she threw her line in off the dock, she pulled in a foot-long, one-pound fish.

”The fish started jumping at me,” said the fourth-grader at Center Elementary in Mayfield Village.

The catch offers an interesting twist to a long-standing joke started by Roy Baine, 60, owner of the pontoon rental place.

A few years ago, he put up a sign and a dispenser to sell fish food for a quarter. The sign on the dispenser offers visitors the chance to ”Feed the Portage Lakes Piranha.”

Visitors toss the food into the lake and blue
gills typically pop up to feed.

Baine said he never guessed something more exotic was swimming below.

”I have never seen anything like it,” said Baine, who for many years ran an old-time photo studio called Magic Lantern at Quaker Square.

Matt Wolfe, fisheries biologist for the Portage Lakes office of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, said the fish was probably tossed into one of the lakes by someone who no longer wanted to keep feeding it in a home aquarium as it got bigger and bigger.

”More often than not,” he said, fish like the one Mackenzie caught ”get so big in people’s aquariums and they eat so much they just dump them into the lake.”

One time, he said, during a routine survey of fish in the Portage Lakes, a 3-foot koi was discovered.

”Most of your aquarium trade fish die off in the wintertime,” he said.

Piranhas and pacus cannot survive cold Ohio winters, he said.

Pacus are vegetarians and even though they have sharp teeth and look intimidating, Wolfe said, ”all they do is shred vegetation.”

The fish reportedly can reach a maximum of 42 inches long and live up to 15 years.

Baine said he took a look at the mouthful of teeth on Mackenzie’s fish, which he is keeping in a plastic tub at his dock, and it looked like he was staring into a human’s mouth.

”It’s teeth look like perfect human dentures,” he said.

Baine is not sure what to do with the fish. He would like it to find a new home with a fish collector who has a big enough aquarium to keep it.

Mackenzie’s mother, Kerri Setlock, said she thought her daughter was ”pulling [her] leg” when she told her she caught the fish.

Mackenzie said she fishes a lot and this is the most impressive fish she has ever caught. And now she has the fish story of a lifetime to tell.

”When I grow up, I will tell my kids and my kids will tell their kids and it will go on for generations,” she said.

---

Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.

The Chickens Are On The Patio Set Again

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, Tiny House Projects, china, family, funny-bone, humor, life the universe and everything

Every morning.  There they are. Four on the table. Two seated in the comfy padded chairs.  Coffee Klatch at the House-of-Chaos.

Humingbird Moth

// July 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects, china, life the universe and everything, personal

I saw this fair creature lapping up it’s nectar dinner on a butterfly bush.  I knew it was a moth, but I didn’t know what kind.  Apparently it is a “hummingbird moth” (Hemaris thysbe):

“The Hemaris thysbe, or Hummingbird clearwing, is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It lives from Alaska and the Northwest Territories south through British Columbia to Oregon; east through the Great Plains and the Great Lakes area to Maine and Newfoundland; south to Florida and Texas. Adults are frequently mistaken for hummingbirds or bees because of their fast-moving wings and coloration. They have a two inch wingspan. The caterpillars eat viburnum, hawthorn, honeysuckle, and a few types of fruit trees.”

from Wikipedia

It reminded me of a flying crawdad!

Look how beautiful the clear wings are!

I always forget that Ohio has rattlesnakes until I see this…

// July 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

Why hello there Mister Snakey!

Yeah….this is always a good thing to come across when you are traipsing across the wetlands. The Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake. Five rattles baby…. And while I don’t mind snakes in general please don’t even ask me to get closer to take more photos.

Follow Chinagrrrl on Twitter

// July 19th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, life the universe and everything, personal, professional, twitter

Follow: twitter.com/chinagrrrl

Asiatic Lily – “BlackOut”

// July 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects, china

Asiatic Lily – “BlackOut”

Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl

Remember those Asiatic lilies called “Black Out” that I told you about last year? Here they are!

I’m utilizing the power of the Interwebz to find our Kittah!

// July 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

A couple of days ago our orange tabby kitty, Lucifer, didn’t come home.  So we’re making lost posters to put up in the area.  I also am utilizing this here powerful interwebz mojo to extend my search.  So…if you see our kitty.  Call and I will bake you homemade chocolate chip cookies…and put a bow on the box and everything.

Sage Varieties: Toasted Brie and Sage Sandwich

// July 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

Makes 1 sandwich

• 2 white bread slices
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 to 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh sage
• 1 to 2 ounces Brie, roughly sliced
• Fresh sage sprigs, for garnish

1. Spread one side of both bread slices of with butter. Sprinkle with sage.

2.  Arrange Brie slices on one buttered bread slice. Place remaining bread slice, buttered side down, on top of Brie,

3. Spread butter on both sides of sandwich. Cook sandwich in a preheated panini press 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.

4. Cut in half and serve immediately.

MarthaStewart: Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread Squares

// July 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread Squares The milk-chocolate topping of these cookies looks like the result of masterful piping, but it’s actually a cinch to make using a mold. Beneath the chocolate hides a layer of peanut butter on top of brown-sugar shortbread, all of them adding up to a treat that’s creamy and crumbly and rich throughout.
Ingredients Makes about 36 squares. Vegetable oil cooking spray 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar 12 ounces milk chocolate, melted 1 cup creamy peanut butter	Directions Coat a 9 1/2-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides, and coat parchment with spray. Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Press dough evenly into pan. Cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake shortbread until golden brown and firm in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Let shortbread cool in pan on a wire rack. Place a basket-weave mat, trimmed to fit pan, on a rimmed baking sheet, and spread melted chocolate evenly on mat. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Use parchment to unmold shortbread from pan, and trim edges to create a square. Spread peanut butter evenly on shortbread. Carefully center chocolate, mat side up, on top of peanut butter, and gently peel off mat. Cut shortbread into 1 1/2-inch squares. Shortbread will keep, covered, for up to 3 days. First published

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Marth Steward BlueberryCorn Muffins

// July 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, china, family, inspiration

Blueberry-Corn Muffins This batter can be baked in jumbo or oversize muffin tins. Frozen blueberries may substitute fresh.
Ingredients Makes 6 large muffins. 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling 3 tablespoons honey 2 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup milk 1 cup blueberries	Directions Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat) or parchment paper on a baking sheet; place six 2 3/4-by-2-inch pastry rings on it. Cut parchment paper into six 10-by-3-inch strips; use them to line molds (paper will extend above rims). Place softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and honey in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs; beat 1 minute more. Whisk flour, cornmeal, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; add to butter mixture in mixer bowl. Beat until combined. Slowly pour in milk, beating on low, until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Divide dough among molds (do not pack too firmly; each will take about 1 cup). Brush tops with cold water; sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each. Bake until tops are browned, centers are set, and a cake tester inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Tie kitchen twine around muffins to hold parchment. Serve at once. First published

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

PlantSwap: Bunny Tails (Lagurus ovatus)

// July 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects, china, writing

Bunny Tails (Lagurus ovatus)

I have been doing a LOT of gardening experiments this year.  One of my criteria is that the Tiny House-of-Chaos is to use as much reclaimed, recycled or salvaged material as possible.  Dirt, rocks, plants…anything I can swap, barter or trade.  I did buy five yards of mulch this year and a few perennials at the nursery, but most of my plants I’ve grown from seed exchanged through PlantSwap.

Bunny Tails Blowing in the Wind

Some of those experiments have been wildly successful…others, not so much!  I’ve found that our chickens will find those tiny seeds and destroy the mini-greenhouses built to keep those seeds safe.  That’s what I get for training my chickens as ninja warriors.  Their stealth and cunning has outwitted farmer China.  I am no match for their powers.

One of the ornamental grasses that I started from seed is called “Bunny Tails”.  It’s proper name is Lagurus ovatus. Here is some information on this plant from PlantFiles:

PlantFiles: Hare’s Tail Grass, Bunny Tails

Lagurus ovatus

Family: Poaceae (poh-AY-see-ee)
Genus: Lagurus (lag-ur-uss)
Species: ovatus (oh-VAY-tus) (more…)

HOC: Chickens

// June 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, Tiny House Projects, china, family, life the universe and everything

Assortments	Barred Plymouth Rocks	Black Austalorp	Black Jersey Giant
Black Star	Buckeyes	Buff Orpington	Buff Chanteclers
Columbian Wyandotte	Delawares	Dominiques	Golden Buff
Golden Laced Wyandotte	New Hampshire	Partridge Plymouth Rocks	Silver Laced Wyandotte
Rhode Island Red	Speckled Sussex	Turkin (Naked-Neck)	White Plymouth Rock

Summertime

// June 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, life the universe and everything

Summertime, summertime, sum – sum – summertime.
How I love thee…

Omega (June 4-6)

// June 13th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, buddhist, china, inspiration, life the universe and everything, magick, meditation, spirit, warriors of the light, wisdom, yoga

A long-time, fantastic friend of mine went with me to The Ommega Institute for an R&R weekend. I was beautiful. I ate simple, delicious food, met interesting, compassionnate people who also believe that kkindness matters. Animals were not afraid of humans and all around were signs of mindfulness and intention, like these rock cairnes.

Omega

// June 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Recovery, Tiny House Projects, buddhist, china, inspiration, life the universe and everything, magick, meditation, personal, professional, spirit, warriors of the light, wisdom, writing, yoga

Just got back from a weeekend at The Omega Institute, where I met incredible people who know kindness matters and mindful actions will change the world. I saw sparks of dream manifest in material and spiritual ways. My soul breathed and released the aches of my spine. I saw hope everywhere and my majick sparkled everywhere for all to see and no one tried to swat it away. Communed with fantastic friends and partners of The Path and food and furry forest creatures who have learned that humans aren’t reallly so bad…at least here they aren’t.

Nice.

Wake Up @ the HOC

// June 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Medea, Ohio, Tiny House Projects, china, family, humor, life the universe and everything

Last night Mia and I set up one of the tents in the back yard and ended up sleeping there to test it out before a girlfriend and I take it to New York this weekend.

But if you sleep in a tent in the backyard at the House-of-Chaos, THIS is what will be greeting you first thing in the morning.

And when I say “morning”, I am meaning about 5:15 A.M.

The Dojo – Are you Ready?

// May 28th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, JEDI, art, china, inspiration, magick, personal, professional, spirit, warriors of the light, wisdom, writing

Why yes.

Yes I am?

Are you?

White Sewing Machine

// May 28th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, professional

Somehow, I never blogged about my wonderful, wonderful sewing machine.  I got my 1906 White Sewing machine at a silent charity auction.  I think I paid $100 for it. It took another $100 to get it in tip-top shape, but since I paid that about three or four years ago I haven’t had to spend another penny and I’ve been a happily sewing madwoman.

Here is my baby:

I purchased this White 1906 Rotary Sewing Machine at a silent auction for charity in the fall of 2007 in preparation for a 2008 "personal development" goal of learning how to sew.  I took it to a sewing center to get it cleaned/tuned up and ready to go for the beginning of 2008.  I love this machine; simple, sturdy and satisfying.

Butterfly Pavillion

// May 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Medea, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

Last summer Mia went on a “Cousin’s Trip” with her Nana and Deda and four of her cousins from her dad’s side of the family.  She flew for the first time on an airplane, by herself.  Unaccompanied.  Alone.  Without me.

Can you tell I was mortified?

Anyway, it all turned out okay; the plane arrived safely, she didn’t get lost, abducted or dematerialize in the space-time continuum. She enjoyed meeting and spending time with her paternal family and is looking forward to the 2010 trip.

While there, Nana took the girls to the Denver “Butterfly Pavilion” where they could encounter hundreds of live butterflies in a walk-through environment.  Mia loved it.  While there, the gift shop had a smaller version of a home “Butterfly Pavillion” which she wanted to purchase, but didn’t have enough money.

Nana bought it for her birthday.  So last December, the box arrived and we needed “nice weather” and a “breeze” to make it work, so we needed to Ohio weather to turn warm.  Now, in May 2010, that has finally happened so she sent away for the caterpillars in April and they arrived about two weeks ago.

Each “bug can” had five caterpillars sealed in with enough food and air to last them 10 days until they climb up to the top of the jar and spin a cocoon and hang from the ceiling.  When that happens, we unseal the jar and take the paper disk the chrysalis are hanging from and “pin” it to the inside bottom mesh of the 2′ tall butterfly pavilion.  Then we zip it back up and wait another week.

This was a fun time because whenever the pavilion was disturbed, by me knocking into it while vacuuming or coming around the corner too fast, the little caterpillars in their Snuggies did the wiggle-dance, which is a defense mechanism they have.   About the *only* defense mechanism they have since they are entirely sealed in a coffin of their own making and are spending all their energy turning into a completely different species!  Sheesh!  And I think I have some busy days!  At least I don’t have to change my species!

Now, for some photos of the process:

This is a woodland bluebell

// May 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, PlantSwap

…or so I’m told. I’m just tagging the image now so I don’t forget. Need to add infor later.

First Rose of 2010

// May 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects, china, life, life the universe and everything, personal

From one of the $3 bare root cutting plants I purchased from Big Lots. You know, of the seven ghetto plants I got, only one turned out to be a dud! Yeay for gardening on the cheap!

Faery eyeballs me at WAY too early in the morning…

// May 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, Tiny House Projects, china, sex work

Since getting chickens, my morning routine has been changed. The ladies get up early so I have to out around 5:30 and open their hen door and refill the food and water.

Here we see the early-morning Faery, a barred rock pullet hen, stares at me through her fence, wondering if I brought her any tasty treats!

Happy Mothers Day 2010

// May 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, I-Ching, JEDI, Ohio, china, family

Nice day. Suncrest gardens. Melting Pot Restaurant. Crate & Barrell. Stuffed ourselved silly. Mia got a bonsai tree and a new cactus. I am a very happy (and grateful) mama!

First Rose of 2010

// May 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects, china, life, life the universe and everything, personal

From one of the $3 bare root cutting plants I purchased from Big Lots. You know, of the seven ghetto plants I got, only one turned out to be a dud! Yeay for gardening on the cheap!

Deepwater Horizon – Gulf Oil Rig Fire/Oil Spill

// May 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, editorial, life the universe and everything, news, nola, personal, sad

You may have heard the news in the last two days about the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig which caught fire, burned for two days, then sank in 5,000 ft of water in the Gulf of Mexico. There are still 11 men missing, and they are not expected to be found. The rig belongs to Transocean, the world’s biggest offshore drilling contractor. The rig was originally contracted through the year 2013 to BP and was working on BP’s Macondo exploration well when the fire broke out. The rig costs about $500,000 per day to contract. The full drilling spread, with helicopters and support vessels and other services, will cost closer to $1,000,000 per day to operate in the course of drilling for oil and gas. The rig cost about $350,000,000 to build in 2001 and would cost at least double that to replace today.

The rig represents the cutting edge of drilling technology. It is a floating rig, capable of working in up to 10,000 ft water depth. The rig is not moored; It does not use anchors because it would be too costly and too heavy to suspend this mooring load from the floating structure. Rather, a triply-redundant computer system uses satellite positioning to control powerful thrusters that keep the rig on station within a few feet of its intended location, at all times. This is called Dynamic Positioning. The rig had apparently just finished cementing steel casing in place at depths exceeding 18,000 ft. The next operation was to suspend the well so that the rig could move to its next drilling location, the idea being that a rig would return to this well later in order to complete the work necessary to bring the well into production. It is thought that somehow formation fluids – oil /gas – got into the wellbore and were undetected until it was too late to take action.

With a floating drilling rig setup, because it moves with the waves, currents, and winds, all of the main pressure control equipment sits on the seabed – the uppermost unmoving point in the well. This pressure control equipment – the Blowout Preventers, or ‘BOP’s” as they’re called, are controlled with redundant systems from the rig. In the event of a serious emergency, there are multiple Panic Buttons to hit, and even fail-safe Deadman systems that should be automatically engaged when something of this proportion breaks out.

None of them were aparently activated, suggesting that the blowout was especially swift to escalate at the surface. The flames were visible up to about 35 miles away. Not the glow – the flames. They were 200 – 300 ft high. All of this will be investigated and it will be some months before all of the particulars are known. For now, it is enough to say that this marvel of modern technology, which had been operating with an excellent safety record, has burned up and sunk taking souls with it.

The well still is apparently flowing oil, which is appearing at the surface as a slick. They have been working with remotely operated vehicles, or ROV’s which are essentially tethered miniature submarines with manipulator arms and other equipment that can perform work underwater while the operator sits on a vessel. These are what were used to explore the Titanic, among other things. Every floating rig has one on board and they are in constant use. In this case, they are deploying ROV’s from dedicated service vessels. They have been trying to close the well in using a specialized port on the BOP’s and a pumping arrangement on their ROV’s. They have been unsuccessful so far.

Specialized pollution control vessels have been scrambled to start working the spill, skimming the oil up. In the coming weeks they will move in at least one other rig to drill a fresh well that will intersect the blowing one at its pay zone. They will use technology that is capable of drilling from a floating rig, over 3 miles deep to an exact specific point in the earth – with a target radius of just a few feet plus or minus. Once they intersect their target, a heavy fluid will be pumped that exceeds the formation’s pressure, thus causing the flow to cease and rendering the well safe at last. It will take at least a couple of months to get this done, bringing all available technology to bear. It will be an ecological disaster if the well flows all of the while; Optimistically, it could bridge off downhole.

It’s a sad day when something like this happens to any rig, but even more so when it happens to something on the cutting edge of our capabilities. The photos that follow show the progression of events over the 36 hours from catching fire to sinking.

Click on any of the images below to be taken to the Flick’r image gallery where they are located.

For Asa: Cacique (from 1985)

// May 5th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, family, inspiration, life the universe and everything, magick, personal, professional, spirit, wisdom, writing

I’m re-posting this OLD (super-old [to the third power of old]) poem I wrote when I was fifteen.  Yes, boys and grrrls, that was almost 25 years ago…almost.  Now I have the most uncomfortable pleasure of watching my beloved grrrlfriends, beloved daughters learn the hard-knock life of love in their own wonderful lives.

I want boys to be better than they were when I was growing up…but they aren’t.  And the lovely ladies have to experience the excruciatingly painful lessons of life and love and lust and lederhosen.  Okay, maybe they can skip the lederhosen, they seem to have fallen out of fashion.  But love hasn’t, nup, not a bit.  Everyone is still chasing it like its the center of the universe.

Because, well, maybe because it is.

Dammit.  And it’s worth every single pang and pain while you are in-love. So pony up and keep you mind right when it isn’t.  You can learn amazing things when love goes south.  And remember darling girls…when the Universe stares you down…don’t you fucking blink.

Now, 1985 circa Chinagrrrl words:  Cacique

Cacique…

Meticulous, yet with horrendous spelling I sprawl and envision the things of the mist.

The beauty too fine to hold onto sifting through your fingers as you watch helplessly as it slips away.

To loves won and lost on the table of phantasy, where the stakes are much too high but the points are not real.

To the lives you have lived only in your mind and the following footfalls that never seem to arrive.

To the places you have never been, to the people that don’t exist.
And the love letters you’ve never written to them.
But it doesn’t matter much, because you wouldn’t have known what to say anyway.

It is this at the Inn of the Dreamers, the end of the imagined
And the beginning of all that might be there.

So put on your gown and step into the ballroom and weave and
Intricate web of mysteries here with me.

Here in Cacique.

Our Woodland Bluebells

// May 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects

Hat tip to @gearball for schooling us on what these wee flowers in the back40 at the House-of-Chaos were. All I know is that they smell heavenly; like a mix of fresia and lily-of-the-valley.

Yum.