tips, tricks, and the olympics

First of all, WAY TO GO AMERICAN SWIMMERS!!!! Two of our ladies took silvers, and the mens team relay took GOLD over the French. If you weren't following, one of the guys from France was quoted something like, "We came to smash the Americans." Well, it just so happens that we have the likely most-gold-medals-in-ALL-OLYMPIC-HISTORY Michael Phelps. Who listens to music and yawns all the way until the word GO.


So, during the relay, the French almost won, the Capt. of the team Lezak blasted by the French to win!


During the interview after the win, one of the Americans was quoted saying something like, "Yeah, we heard the Frenchies were talking stuff..." Eat it Frenchies.


Phelps celebrating their victory (for the ladies)


And the women's gymnastics is not so bueno right now for Americans. And the Chinese are 12.

I've been busy doing some stuff around the house and have come across a couple things I would like to pass along.

When changing out the electrical receptacles, make sure you pay attention to 15Amp vs 20Amp. I didn't mix any of them up, but it could lead to disaster. The easiest way to tell is the 20A will have a little slit off of one of the prong inserts and/or will say 20A on the face under the plate.

Also, when changing over a non-protected cicuit to a GFCI, have a plan first, then start cutting wires.

When cutting ANY wires, ALWAYS check for power. I had the power shut off to all boxes but the garage, I thought, and luckily checked the power before I poked around any of the boxes because I found two very random boxes that were still hot.

Lastly, invest in good tools. To do this you only need a couple testers, side cutters, flat and phillips screw drivers, wire strippers, needle nose pliers, and wire nuts. Quality tools keep you from fraying wires and stripping screws.

If you're doing any work under the sink that requires a pipe wrench...it's a good idea to have two. One will only get you so far.

Also, TAKE YOUR TIME and tape every connection with pipe tape (the thin white stuff). You probably only get under there every so often, so retaping and checking your seals will save you the hassle of finding a waterlogged cabinet over time.

This stuff is probably very common knowledge, but if you're like and just learn as you go and from your mistakes, maybe these can save you some time and trips to Home Depot.

On a cooking note, Annie and I had some very good friends over the other night for steaks and games. This is mainly from the Pioneer Woman, but a great way to prepare steak is...

1. Dry rub of only season salt (we like Lawry's) and lemon pepper. Not too much...
2. Wait until they are room temperature before throwing them on
3. Grill on high (400F) for 5 minutes a side (for medium/medium rare)
4. Baste melted butter and chopped fresh garlic, let set for a couple minutes (steaks are much juicier if you let them set for about 5 minutes before serving...allows the juice to soak back in)

This doesn't need A1, Sweet Baby Ray's, or any other delicious sauce.

This goes very good with fresh veggies (support your local farmers!), warm bread, fried potatoes, and grilled corn on the cob.

Depending on your mood, you could crack open some Cabernet/Merlot or Bud Lite Lime for a relaxing meal.

Speaking of drinks...

A nice refreshing drink I've picked up from the firehouse is:

1. 2 liter of Fresca
2. 2 frozen cans of limeaid
3. 1 can of Monster energy drink
4. Chopped up fruit of your choice (oranges or strawberries are good)

Mix it all together until the frozen limeaid dissolves.

It's a nice tart drink that's slightly caffeinated for a quick pick-me-up.

*For parties, try adding 1oz of Coconut Rum for every 8-10 oz of juice. ALOHA!

Happy Monday

Josh