Salem

Salem Avenue was part of my childhood growing up in the North Riverdale subdivision of Dayton but until recently I didn't know where the name "Salem" came from.  Salem was a village in Randolph Township, which also no longer exists, until 1841 when the U.S. Postal Service no longer allowed that name as it was a duplicate of another Salem, Ohio, which is located between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.  Salem was renamed Clayton in honor of John Clayton, a local soldier who died in the War of 1812.  Salem Avenue, not surprisingly, led travelers to Salem, now Clayton, Ohio.  More tidbits of information on Clayton's history can be found on this YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuZrjk8Tqy4

Edamame with Chora Salad (Black-Eyed Peas)

We first had the combination of edamame, black-eyed peas, and corn in a salad at a beach bar in Nokomis, Florida and immediately knew we had to try it at home.  I loosely followed the recipe at the link below, omitting the raisins (yuk) and adding some balsamic dressing to kick it up a notch,  If you're looking for a new recipe for a summer cookout, this just might be your choice.

https://www.cook.recipesandmore.org/recipes/edamame-with-chora-salad-black-eyed-peas

BackRe(Action)

I find physics very interesting, but I'm not that kind of smart, so I have been searching for a while for a blog to read that would explain complicated topics in a way I could understand.  I found the perfect blog in BackRe(Action) by Sabine Hossenfelder, a theoretical physicist and Research Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies.  With the perfect tagline, "Science without the Gobbledygook", she delves into topics like "What does the universe expand into?", "What did Einstein mean by spooky action at a distance?", dark matter, and quantum computing.  I very much look forward to her weekly posts.

https://backreaction.blogspot.com

Beauty Salon Makeover

When a small flood required replacing their cabinets, the hair salon owners of Tangles in Kettering did what I dare say few other groups of ladies would do, they went to Harbour Freight, a discount chain that sells electric, pneumatic, and hand tools for professionals and do-it-yourselfers and purchased the Yukon mobile storage cabinets shown below.  They're constructed of welded steel with a solid wood work surface, roll around on heavy-duty casters, and are really sharp-looking.  Bravo!

https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-storage-organization/yukon-tool-storage/46-in-mobile-workbench-with-solid-wood-top-black-64012.html

Auto Time Set Alarm Clock

Last September I blogged about a new clock I purchased because our new cable box no longer had a time display.  But that clock ran fast, gaining a minute every month or so and needing its time reset, which was not a simple process.  After eight months I gave up and bought the $20 clock shown below which automatically sets its time via a radio signal from WWVB, a single high-power, extremely-low-frequency, dual-antenna station that NIST operates near Fort Collins, Colorado, and covers the 48 continental United States and much of Canada and Central America.

Besides keeping the correct time, I also like the adjustable brightness dial, allowing just the right glow to fit my eye.  My only gripe is that it arrived with an active 7:00 am alarm, which I didn't realize, and went off two mornings before I figured out how to turn it completely off. 

Big shoutout to my friend John S for helping me locate a clock I don't have to mess with.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0829JRQB6

Heroes for Babies

Many years ago, while I was donating a pint of blood, a nurse said I had blood that was good for babies but did not explain further.  I figured it was just a way to make me feel good about giving, but recently I found out just how special my blood is.  I noticed a smiley face and the word "peds" highlighted at the top of my donation form and searched the Internet for what might mean.  Turns out I have never been exposed to cytomegalovirus (CMV) which 85% of people get by the age of 40.  Babies needing blood should only receive blood from donors who are CMV-negative (i.e. me), and since I have an "O" blood type (O+), I'm part of a special group – Heroes for Babies.  Read more about it at this link.

https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/types-of-blood-donations/whole-blood-donation/helpbabies.html

Freezer Fix Shepherd's Pie

This is called a "freezer fix" because it's a great way to use leftover pork or chicken and mashed potatoes.  The term "Shepherd’s Pie" is used loosely, as tradition would have you use sheep meat, primarily lamb or mutton, fitting since this originated in Ireland, home to many of these even-toed ungulates.  Cleanup consists of only one large skillet and one baking dish.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/freezer-fix-shepherds-pie-5607534

CDC Predicts May Surge

Talk about being a wee bit off.

According to the CNBC report at the link below, the CDC was projecting a "surge" of COVID-19 cases in the United States in May 2021 before declining in the summer.  The reality was very different, as shown in the data table below from the CDC's own COVID tracker website (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailytrendscases).  Instead of rising, cases fell by 65%.  

Either the CDC was purposely lying to try to keep people wearing masks and staying apart or they simply can't predict the future and should not try.  In either case, being this far off doesn't exactly give me a lot of confidence in anything they say.  

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/05/cdc-projects-a-surge-in-us-covid-cases-through-may-due-to-bpoint1point1point7-variant-before-a-sharp-decline-.html

Basement Remodel

I haven't blogged much lately, my time being devoted to remodeling our basement.  The top picture is before; dated shag carpet and wood paneling.  The bottom picture is after; a fresh paint job, beadboard paneling, new ceiling tiles, and vinyl flooring.  

I should be back to blogging on my usual almost every weekday schedule, but I do have to remodel the staircase, so interruptions may happen.

Roasted Potato Peels

The roasting potato peels shown below were an experiment from just one spud.  It's just the shavings combined with butter, oil, and spices, baked as crispy as desired.  The recipe also works with the rest of the potato if it's cut into very thin fries, but reduce the amount of butter and oil or they won't crisp up very well.  So next time you're making a pile of mashed potatoes, don't throw away the peels, make yourself a tasty treat.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/roasted-potato-peels-4635259