Doggy Water Fountain

I imagine countless dogs enjoying a cold drink from this doggy dish water fountain at Lincoln Park Civic Commons in Kettering.  Above this is the human version along with three other water fountains in the park, all a very welcome sight on this hot summer for this runner.

https://www.playkettering.org/location/lincoln-park-civic-commons

Pastrami-Rubbed Smoked Tri-Tip

We've fallen in love with using a dry rub on our beef and this combination of black pepper, salt,
coriander, mustard, brown sugar, paprika and garlic and onion powders really does make this steak taste like a pastrami sandwich.  Couldn't find a tri-tip, so we substituted a flat iron steak, which worked well.  While the directions call for grinding a bunch of seeds, save yourself a ton of work and use their already-ground brethren.  Baking it low and slow in the oven is an easier alternative and a really good choice for the cooler months.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/pastrami-rubbed-smoked-tri-tip-7223163

Spectrum TV App

The Roku has the Spectrum TV app which means it's possible to replace a cable box, and its monthly fee, with this app.  I would suggest this only for an infrequently used TV, as the app's interface is very cumbersome.  But if you setup just a few "favorites" and use the other standard filters to limit the stations displayed, it's worth it.

I'm still waiting for an Amazon Fire TV Cube version of the app, and pray its interface is vastly better when it arrives.  Ever the optimist...

https://www.spectrum.com/cable-tv/spectrum-tv-app.html

Wi-Fi Interference

Figuring out the cause of Internet connectivity problems in the invisible world of wireless networking is difficult and a challenging guessing game.  We recently had problems which included poor performance and interruptions of a few seconds to a minute, affecting Netflix, smartphones, tablets and, fortunately, my Mac's wireless mouse.  The mouse problem pointed to some type of RF (Radio Frequency) interference and with the help of NetSpot's free (I love free) app, I noticed that we had three very strong Wi-Fi signals, one obviously our TP-Link router, but the other two were not familiar, but had to be very close by.  I then noticed our Spectrum-provided cable modem had a "WPS" (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button on its top, even though we didn't sign up for their in-home wireless network service.  The wireless network names (SSIDs) on the cable modem matched the two unfamiliar names.  The label also listed the userid and password to logon to the cable modem, which allowed me to disable those wireless networks, as shown below.  With those changes made, our Wi-Fi/Internet issues have disappeared.

https://www.netspotapp.com

Garlic-Chipotle Chicken Tacos

The chipotle chiles, garlic and chili powder give this spin on chicken tacos a real kick.  We opted to make the chicken on the stovetop and roast the peppers and onions on the grill.  Eating this well on a Tuesday night is only a small part of what makes my wife so special.

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/garlic-chipotle-chicken-tacos

Running Profits - August 2019 Update

An update for August 2019 on my profits from running, those coins dropped on sidewalks, roads, etc.  This last month I netted 71 cents, powered by finding two quarters within a few yards of each other.  Combined with the 26 cents from July 2019, my total is now 97 cents, well on the way to my goal of buying a small Dairy Queen ice cream cone.  Another month as rich as this one and I might make it much sooner than I originally anticipated.

Hasselback Caprese Chicken

Take four chicken breasts and slice 80% of the way through about every half-inch (that's the Hasselback method), then fill with a dab of pesto, a little wedge of fresh mozzarella and a tomato slice.  After baking, a couple minutes under the broiler will add a bit of crispy coloring.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/261639/hasselback-caprese-chicken

Kayak Explore

Just wanna get away?

If you're less set on a particular destination than how much you're going to spend, Kayak's Explore tool can help.  Just plug in the airport you want to depart from and you're presented with the best prices to loads of destinations.  There are filters for cost, duration, dates and number of stops to whittle down the choices.  Still have to pack your own bags...

https://www.kayak.com/explore/DAY

Texas Beef & Cattle Company

My choice for Dayton's best barbecue is Texas Beef & Cattle Company, located at 1101 West Third St, just a few blocks west, over the river, from downtown.  Great brisket, pulled pork and great sides, like the mac-n-cheese shown below.  They are working on a second location on the first floor of the CareSource building at 217 N. Patterson Blvd, which I imagine will be packed during lunch hour.  

http://texasbcc.com

New Patio Deck

Just completed a few weeks ago, our new deck is 40% larger, uses TimberTech composite decking and railing for zero maintenance and features a venting patio door from Steeves & Sons.  At the bottom of the post caps are lights that can be set to stay on at night or for just a few hours.  The before picture is included at the bottom which really shows what a fantastic upgrade this is.  Great job, as always, by Jason Best and his crew!