Upside Down Tomato Planter Gizmo

This is the nifty tomato planter I bought at Sams. (Technically, Mom bought it for me for my birthday -- or at least that's how I used the money she gave me).

There is a photo that shows the 4 tomato plants and how they looked after we planted them. The second photo is the way they look today. We planted four different varieties to compare how they would grow. Early Girl, Better Boy, Celebrity, and Jet Star. So far the Celebrity is ahead in growth. I planted herbs on the top. Sweet basil, Pineaple sage, Holy Basil, Purple Ruffles Basil, Cilantro, chives, regular sage. Lots of fun and no tomato staking or weeding!

Quote of the Week, May 26, 3009

"A vision is a clearly-articulated results-oriented picture of a future you intend to create.
It is a dream with direction."

--Jesse Stoner Zemel (Co-Author, Full Steam Ahead)

Sweet Dreams, Merlin

We lost our cat, Merlin, this past week. He was 15+ years old and still a sweet and energetic cat. He was very pretty with his blue/gray fur and white accents. He came to live with us as a tiny kitten, eventually grew into his ears, and lived with us until his very last day on this earth. He earned his name because he could jump so high as a kitten -- it was almost magical. What causes us get so attached to our pets? Farewell & Sweet Dreams to one of the best cats ever...Merlin, Merlman, The Merls, a.k.a. Purr Bucket.

Quote of the Week, May 5, 2009

"Courage is not limited to the battlefield. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody’s looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty or standing alone when you're misunderstood."
-- Charles Swindoll , author, educator, pastor

Awards & Honors! Who knew?

Just a quick note to let you know that a couple cool things happened on my blog over the past couple days.

First, Jenna, who reviews books on her blog, The Hive, has honored "The Man Who Does Not Exist," with a One Lovely Blog Award.

Jenna writes, "I really enjoy your description. It really comes alive when you read it."

Jenna's most recent book review is of "A Thousand Splendid Suns," by Khaled Hosseini, the celebrated author of "The Kite Runner."

Even more significant, over on twitter, Noveltweets, recommended that her more than 3,000 followers read "The Man Who Does Not Exist," calling it "Poetic romance."

This is an especially inspiring recommendation as Noveltweets is written by Kristin Callendar. Not only does Kristin tweet, but she's also the author of, "The Truth Lies in the Dark."

Rome wasn't built in a day, so maybe I'm starting to get a little traction. Thanks for all the help and support!

More Matt

I didn't expect you guys to like Matt's video so much. Since you did, here's a follow up. Turns out, he went tons of places they didn't show in the final video. Here are a dozen or so more...

Someone Blogged About My Tweetednovel...

Hey guys -- Beth Fish Reads (http://bfishreads.blogspot.com/2009/04/publishing-and-twitter-good-mix.html) tackled whether or not a tweeted novel is a good thing. Please check out her post and please comment (bad/good, I don't care). Also, for those of you on twitter, please retweet her blog post or tweet about it. Going to email you this too. Thanks.

Where in the World Is Matt?

I admit I'm way behind on seeing this video. It got a lot of attention a couple years ago. Regardless, if you haven't seen it, it's well worth the four minutes. Who would think a white guy doing a silly dance could be so inspiring? (Josh we should have thought of this.)

35 years and a night out!

We celebrated our 35th Wedding Anniversary Dinner at Sydney Street Cafe. We had never been there before, but since we had a fabulous gift certificate, we thought this the perfect opportunity. (Thanks Josh & Rachel). Look at some of the yummy food we enjoyed. We highly recommend the blue cheese tarts (and the restaurant!).

NEPHEW!!!

1. Supporting his MU Tigers while being held by uncle Josh (a few weeks ago).

2. Just smiling away...he does that a lot now. He's so alert.

3. Heading to the office...Brittney brought him up to Luke's work for the first time wearing this outfit...yes, they're khakis. I love this picture!!!

He couldn't be sweeter or cuter! He's healthy and growing at rapid speeds (15 pounds now and he's about 9 weeks old). Luke and Brittney are having a great time with him and they are just the best parents.

Please Digg my blog, Digg is a pain so...

One more thing, can you also please Digg my blog? It would be extremely helpful and only takes a minute or two, but it's a bit convoluted, so here's the fastest/easiest way to do it.

1) Go to Digg and sign up.
2) In Digg's search box enter "the man who doesn't exist" (quotes aren't necessary)
3) You'll get terrible search results.
4) Refine your search by using the three drop-down boxes right below the new search box (which will appear roughly in the center of the page). In the first drop-down select, "title only". In the second, "all stories." In the third, "sort best match first."
5) This should yield my blog.
6)Then simply click on the white "digg it" button on the right.

Your done. Sorry so convoluted. There's an easier way to do this now that I've added new digg, stumbleupon, delico.us, etc. buttons. But if you go through the new buttons, it creates a brand new digg with no votes.

Thanks for all the help!

The Man Who Doesn't Exist

Hey guys -- In addition to tweeting my novel (#tweetednovel @johnmbaird on twitter), I'm also archiving the earlier tweets on my blog, The Man Who Doesn't Exist. Check it out and please follow me. Let me know if you love, hate, are confused, bored etc. I want criticism. Thanks!

Happy Birthday to me!

Okay, so you took a shot -- DISHES!

Who knew I would love them?

This is the cutest set of cups with glass spoons that sit down inside the handle.

Thanks kindly for the perfect find!

I played with them this week-end!

You Know Who Likes 500-Point Rallies?

The flood of tears is now more of a trickle.

Home Sales Rise; Beat Expectations

From the WSJ, below. But shouldn't it read, " ...climbing above expectations, BECAUSE prices plunged..."? Yes, it should. It's called a "market" and the WSJ should know that.

WASHINGTON -- Existing-home sales rebounded in February, climbing above expectations, but prices plunged again.

Home resales climbed to a 4.72 million annual rate, a 5.1% increase from January's unrevised 4.49 million annual pace, the National Association of Realtors said Monday.

Foreclosures and short sales reflect about 45% of total existing-home sales. Distressed properties are discounted, so the abundance of these sales prices new homes out of the market, discouraging construction and weakening the overall housing sector further.

With so many distressed sales, the median price for an existing home fell last month. At $165,400 in February, the median price was down 15.5% from $195,800 in February 2008. The median price in January this year was $164,800. The 15.5% plunge is the second biggest ever, behind January's 17.5% drop.

Hey Look A Post!

Sorry I haven't blogged in so long. LOTS of work to be done. And, when I'm not working, I'm writing. Thus, two, more-than-full-time jobs.

Trying to think if I have any news -- Yes! "I Love You Man" is hilarious! Can't believe it wasn't No. 1 movie this weekend. Apparently "Knowing" sucks.

Quote of the Week, March 18, 2009

The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

-- William Faulkner

Anniversary Flowers....

Yes, that's right -- 35 years ago today, two 'very' young adults said "I do" and the clock started ticking. The years have been busy -- jobs, kids, college, weddings, vacations...and it all goes by so quickly.
Dad's creative touch is evident again this year in the flowers. There are 3 white roses with blue tips (these were the kind used in our wedding) for each decade, and 5 red roses -- to total 35 years.
I wish you could smell them. They are lovely.

This is Ridiculous

Typically, I'm very much on the side of corporations. However, this is ridiculous.

CHICAGO (AP) — The tallest building in America is getting a new name.
Chicago's Sears Tower will be renamed Willis Tower after London-based Willis Group Holdings. The insurance broker announced the name change and other details of its agreement with the building's owners Thursday.
Willis is moving five local offices and nearly 500 employees into the 110-story building. The move is expected to be completed by late summer.
Willis will occupy more than 140,000 square feet at $14.50 a square foot. The company says it's not paying anything extra for the naming rights.The 1,451-foot skyscraper is owned by a real estate investment group formed in 2004 to buy the tower

While we're at it, I plan to call my congressman and see if we can change a few more things for a quick buck. What do you think of:

The Empire Cheese State Building in New York?

The Golden Arch in St. Louis?

The Virgin Galatic Space Needle in Seattle?

The FedEx Beale Street in Memphis?

Just brainstorming here ...

Come On!

Chicago weather has been more frustrating than usual lately. I left work on Tuesday and it was around 60. Yesterday morning greeted me with a balmy 20 and WINDY. At least it's supposed to be around 45 on Saturday. Rach, you want to go to the beach?

Quote of the Week, March 11, 2009

There are no great people in the world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet.

-- William Frederick Halsey, Jr. (1882-1959) Military Officer

Greetings from the Vatican! (I just mean my desk)

So, I’ve been pretty bad about correspondence lately; not just on this blog, but with everyone. Many apologies. I’m going to try and be better about posting. Ironically, I don’t have much to report. However, Rachel and I did just host Melissa and John last weekend and had a blast! We covered museums and neighborhoods and fun dinner destinations. Also, Melissa about has me talked into a Triathlon in August. Yikes.

Let’s see, what else … Rachel and I picked a Nintendo Wii not too long ago! It’s very fun, though we don’t have a lot of time to play it. I’m trying to carve out more time to play, and to watch TV. And I’m trying to start smoking. Kidding.

I guess that’s it for now, but like I said, I plan to be better about posting!

Love all.

Josh

Rough Seas.......

Okay, so I'm struggling here. I"m trying to catch a line and get back on board.

I think that is Cap'n on the boat throwing the life preserver. He lost another 2.5 lbs this week!

Beach life is good...

Since everyone else weighs in on Monday, I will too. As of this morning I've lost 5 lbs. YAY!!

Keep those recipes coming. I'm doing ok, but I think John might revolt if I feed him one more salad.

Surfing in on The Beach...

Okay -- we're back where the action is with sand between our toes. We can't worry about the storm damage now -- just repair and push forward.

Loss for the week.....

Mommy 9.5 lbs (I guess I swallowed a lot of water during the storm).

Cap'n 0.5 lbs

(tee-hee -- I win).

I'm on my way...

Started the beach on Tuesday morning and already lost 2 lbs. Yay! If only that rate would keep up I'd be Kate Moss by a week from Thursday.

To My Beach Bunnies!

http://www.southbeachrecipes.com/

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/recipecollection.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/trusted-brands-recipes-and-tips/south-beach-diet/phase-1-recipes/main.aspx

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food/healthy/south-beach-diet-recipes-jun04

http://www.southbeachcenturyclub.com/

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=114

http://www.prevention.com/cda/categorypage.do?channel=weight.loss&category=diets&topic=south.beach.diet

http://www.lowcarbrecipescentral.com/

http://weightloss.about.com/od/southbeachdietrecipes/

http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=35439

http://recipegal.com/SouthBeachDiet/

http://foodgeeks.com/diets/southbeachdiet.phtml

http://www.south-beach-diet-recipe.com/south_beach_diet_recipes.htm

possible beach help...

I found this blog that is essentially a cooking blog, but the chef lost a bunch of weight on South Beach, so she adapts a lot of her recipes to it. Plus the recipes actually sound good as opposed to some cooking blogs - yuck.

You might want to check it out:
Kalyn's Kitchen

Storm Damage Report

After Hurricane Thanksgiving, Monsoon Wedding, and Tropical Storm John & Melissa -- we went into a Tropical Depression and have been lost at sea for a couple of weeks.

However, we have latched onto a piece of romaine lettuce and are trying to paddle toward the beach. Is that a mirage or do I see a friend in the distance?

The damage report is too embarrassing to tell. Maybe next week after I have the sand between my toes again I'll give more details. The Cap'n did much better than I -- but he has all that sea experience :-)

paddle, paddle, paddle....

The Beach Beckons

Okay, so John and I are headed to the beach tomorrow. I'm getting all of the stuff ready tonight. I need tips and recipes (especially crock-pot friendly ones).

Are we going to see you guys there?

We are weathering the storms

Contrary to speculation, we have not been lost at sea. We weathered Hurricane Thanksgiving and are still hanging out on The Beach, gripping the sand by our fingernails, and doing okay.

Mommy 31 lbs
Cap'n 42 lbs

We are headed for Monsoon Wedding.

May Day, May Day, May Day...

Autumn on The Beach

Baby it's cold outside!

Here's our weekly check-in.........


Cap'n 40 lbs

Mommy 30.25 lbs

Yippee - skippee!

Lucky 13 on The Beach

Yep, 13 weeks!

Cap'n 39
Mommy 29

Hurricane Thanksgiving is coming.
We're boarding up the windows.

Schwamorto!

We got the prettiest wedding invitation in the mail. We haven't gotten the mail in a couple of days, so I can't say exactly which day it came, but it's here. No backing out now, Josh.

Rachel- we'd still understand if you did though.

Milestones on the Beach

We've made it to another big milestone! 12 weeks on The Beach! That's a record for us!

Weekly weigh-in:

Cap'n = 38 lbs
Mommy = 26 lbs

He's ahead of me, but I don't care because I'm still losing!

Head of the Lake Regatta

Yesterday I was in a 3 mile rowing race starting at Gaswork's Park, going through the Montlake cut, and ending by Husky stadium. In case you were wondering, 3 miles is far. Just thought I'd clear that up.

We took 2nd. Since there were only 3 boats you could say we were next to last, but I prefer "1st runner up".

Hannah's Dream

This is a good one!

Oh boy...

Looks like I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year (which of course, you're all invited to if you're in the neighborhood). So if you guys have great recipes, send them my way.

Hanging out on The Beach

I bet you guys thought we were washed out to sea because we didn't report in yesterday.

But no -- we are still hanging out on the beach. No storms or sharks circling yet.

Cap'n -- 34.5 lbs

Mommy - 24.5 lbs.

Yep, he finally pulled ahead by 10 lbs. It's not fair, not fair at all -- but I understand it is normal.

So -- upward and onward.

Quote of the Week, November 3, 2008

When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either.
--Leo Burnett, Advertising Executive (1891-1971)