There’s an orchard not too far from my house. It’s an apple orchard, but the apples weren’t harvested this year. The owners said we could glean what we wanted.
We picked a couple of bushels of apples. But, “free” apples don’t become applesauce. . .for free.
First step is to wash and cut up the apples.
If you are doing applesauce, you can pretty much use any apples. You have to cut them anyway, you cut out the bad parts.
We ended up with bins and bins of cut up apples.
Next you cook those apples. They cook for about 45 minutes until they are very tender. That’s a lot of cooking and a lot of pots full of apples.
On the positive side, the house smells DELICIOUS!
Next, all those cooked apples go into a strainer. You turn and turn and out comes applesauce. Big bowls full.
Cooked apples ==> Sauce ==> jars
The cooking pots are replaced on the stove with canners.
After 45 minutes you finally end up with jars of applesauce.
We ended up with 77 quarts. The shelves will fill up even more when the rest get stored.
There were a LOT of dishes to wash. Most of them were washed and used several times over the last couple of days. But, the cleanup is finally done.
Well, ALMOST all the cleanup is done.
I’m not sure I can handle much more free apples.
Tomorrow I take a quart to the orchard owner. He’s entitled to some free food as well.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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It’s been a long weekend. I spent a fair amount of it in orchards. There’s an ancient practice called gleaning. It’s after a harvest is done, to allow others to come through the field and take what’s left.
I didn’t exactly glean, since the orchards I was in didn’t have harvests done. But, I was able to get a couple bushels of grapes and several bushels of apples.
Grapes make wine and apples make cider. I’m not making either. (Which kind of rhymes with cider, although that wasn’t my intention.)
It’s been a lot of time spent over a stove or a steamer, or a canner. I did manage to take pictures.
We will end up with a couple of shelves full of canned jars.
But, all of that is for tomorrow.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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Do you remember TV show “Name That Tune”? The contestants were supposed to guess a song in the fewest number of notes. You’ve probably had it happen at times. A song comes on the radio and in the first few notes you instantly know the song.
Cars can sing songs too. And just as you can sometimes spot a song from the first few notes, it’s possible to recognize the song a car sings from a few seconds. My wife’s car was recently singing. I recognized the song immediately.
Have you ever heard brakes squeal? Did you know that when your brakes start squealing there is technically nothing wrong with them? It just means they are getting close to needing replacement.
I didn’t understand that when I started working on cars. The idea that a product would literally squeal to tell you it needs to be replaced is a kind of cool idea. And that sound? It’s like fingers on chalkboards.
My wife’s car didn’t squeal at her, or me. But, it was singing none the less.
If you ignore the squealing long enough eventually your back pads will wear out. And at that point, they make a different noise. Not a squeal. It’s more of a “smoosh.” That’s the song her car was singing. I recognized it as soon as I touched the brakes. I have no idea why the brakes didn’t squeal.
Brake pads are typically made of a
sbestos. Some are made of ceramic. You know that dirty stuff that gets on your wheels? That’s brake dust. It’s what comes off as your brake pads wear down.
When they are completely gone, the steel brake pad backing presses against the rotor. The rotor is a large metal dinner plate that fits over the studs on your wheels.
The brake pads press on each side of the rotor to stop the car.
When the brake pad is gone, you get metal on metal. If you press metal on metal long enough the metal heats up and starts to grind patterns into it. The grooves look like a vinyl record. I own several vinyl records and a record player.
The rotor looked more like a big bowl. But, it’s definitely not supposed to have those grooves.
It’s impossible to put a rotor on a record player, of course. And even if you could, a vinyl record has one long continuous groove. I’m pretty sure the rotor’s grooves are not as nicely formatted.
But, just as my vinyl records play a distinctive song, recognizable with just a couple of notes, that rotor also told a story in just a couple of notes.
But, it wasn’t really my kind of music.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
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What is the most popular movie of all time?
That’s a simple question. It should be easy to find the answer. In fact, a quick google search
“most successful move of all time”
The answers are pretty simple. No doubt you’ve seen or at least heard of these movies.
- Avatar $2.847B
- Avengers: Endgame $2.797B
- Titanic $2.201B
- Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens $2.069B
- Avengers: Infinity War $2.048B
Do you know how far down the list you have to go to find Gone With The Wind? Hundreds of entries. Gone With The Wind grossed $402M.
So far we’ve talked about facts. The fact is that Avatar at more than $2.8B is the highest grossing movie of all time. And it’s a fact that Gone With The Wind grossed less than 20% of that.
Facts.
But, is it the truth? Was Avatar the most successful movie of all time?
Yes!
And NO!
Truth is not nearly as easy to pin down as facts.
Avatar was released in 2009. Gone With The Wind was released 70 years earlier in 1939. If we convert Gone With The Winds receipts into 2021 amounts, Gone With The Wind earned about $3.44B.
And that doesn’t even take into account number of tickets sold. Only the gross receipts.
Is it true to say that Avatar is the most successful movie of all time? Is it true to say that Gone With The Wind was the most successful movie of all time? Can both be true?
I enjoy political discussions. And in politics truth is even harder to pin down than it is the movies. Often people insist on “the truth.” And they will quote facts.
But, if we cannot even decide what is the most successful movie of all time is, we have no hope of pinning down something as elusive as political truth.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
Follow him on
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LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com/in/rbliss)
or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
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I ran into an old acquaintance today. I didn’t recognize him. Not even a little. He knew me, my kids and where I lived for the past 15 years.
It might sound creepy. Like he’s some weird stalker. (Actually, is there any other kind of stalker?) Let me explain how this came about. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon.
I drive home past an apple orchard. I’ve been driving past that apple orchard for the past 8 years. It’s owned by a man named Paul Adams. He runs a fruit orchard called “Adams Apples.”
Paul is an acquaintance I met many years ago. He had some extra peaches one year and let us harvest them. I took him a couple of quarts of canned peaches as a thank you. Paul is a character. He was drunk most times I talked to him. And he loves the orchards. I’ve also met Paul’s son. His son isn’t thrilled with owning orchards.
I noticed a few weeks ago a for sale sale sign went up on the orchard.
I think Paul may have finally passed on. An orchard, espically in the middle of a city with sky rocketing land prices, is a very valuable piece of real estate. The apples didn’t get harvested this year. The leaves have mostly gone.
Today on the way home I saw some trucks and a bunch of kids picking apples. I assumed that the orchard was allowing the community to come pick apples. I can two things when the occasion permits; grape juice and applesauce. And the occasion permits when I can get the fruit for free.
After I got home, I talked to my lovely wife and we headed back to the orchard. The kids had finished picking and the gates were locked. As I was checking, a man came walking toward me. I later realized he was just walking to his car. But, we started talking.
Were you with the group picking apples?
Yeah, it’s a service project.
I wondered if they were opening it to the public.
I don’t think so. We donated the apples to Tabitha’s Way
I arranged to get information about the people who had set up the service project. They might be able to tell me if we can come glean some apples for applesauce.
I’m Rodney Bliss, by the way.
He told me his name and asked me a question,
Didn’t you use to live in North Orem?
Yeah, over by Windsor Elementary.
Yeah, we lived in the little blue house on the corner of Main. And you’ve done a bunch with scouts, right?
Yes. For the past several years in Pleasant Grove.
At first I couldn’t remember where I’d seen you before. And then I heard your name.
I’m memorable.
I don’t say that to brag. If anything I wish I were a little less interesting. You know from my signature that I have 13 children. Despite what you might think, thirteen children is really not that memorable in Utah. I know a family with 25 kids.
No, what makes my family interesting is our racial makeup. The white people are a minority. Three of my kids are white, three are Asian and seven are black. I don’t even know the distribution of my ten grandkids. It doesn’t really matter to me.
People who meet my family, remember us. Sometimes they might struggle to recall the family name, but they know who we are. Just as the acquaintance from 15 years ago remembered who I was. People often come up to me because they recognize me or remember my family
The problem is that while my family is interesting and instantly recognizable to those we meet the same isn’t always true of everyone else. Don’t get me wrong. Everyone is unique. Everyone has a story. Everyone is important.
But, not everyone is interesting. Forgive me if I don’t remember your name.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
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I’m not longer participating in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The point of NaNoWriMo is to write a novel of 50,000 words during the month of November.
You’d think this would be perfect for me. I write every day. I’ve written books. I actually have a novel that I’m working on. And I started well.
So, why quit? It’s only November 9. There’s still three weeks to go. Sure, I’m behind the pace, but theres time to pick it up, right? I could still do this.
But, I won’t. I’m not saying I can’t. I’m saying I won’t. I’m choosing to withdraw.
Did I give up on writing a book?
Nope?
Is it that I will stop writing?
No. Not that either.
I know if I just work hard enough, I could still do it.
My son came home from Korea last Sunday. He went over to visit with his sister for three months. She’s there commanding a Veterinarian clinic for the US Army. It’s not been an easy trip for him and in fact, he came back early because he was struggling.
I went to pick him up on Sunday at the airport. It was time I was planning to use writing. Of course, I put getting him over a few thousand words. And I realized that I COULD spend the hours writing in the remaining days in November needed to meet the 50,000 word goal. But, it would come at a price.
And this month that price is too high. With a son to help get healthy and the other family needs that showed up this month, I decided they needed priority. And unlike previous situations where I’d just “attempt to do more,” I decide this year, I’m giving myself permission to change plans.
Not every goal set in the rebirth of Spring maintains it’s importance in the Summer of toil and the Fall of family commitments.
To my friends participating in NaNoWriMo, I wish you best of luck. I look forward to reading your stories. And next November, you’ll find me hunched over my keyboard joining you.
That is, if something with a higher priority doesn’t take precedence.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
Follow him on
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or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
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I investigated Masonry for many years. My uncle was a Mason. I asked him about it. Eventually, I petitioned for the three degrees of Masonry. My uncle asked me why it took me so long.
I don’t want to join until I’m sure I can be involved. I intend my association with Masonry to be for the long haul.
I was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on November 8, 2007. My home lodge is Story Lodge #4 in Provo, Utah. At the time of my raising I was living in Washington, but keeping my membership in Story Lodge. As a result, I was raised in Corinthian Lodge #38 Free & Accepted Masons in Puyallup, Washington.
I wouldn’t have remembered the date if they hadn’t given me a bible with the date in it.
Today is my 14th anniversary of being made a Master Mason. I’ve been more or less engaged at different times. We just held elections – many of the officers in a Masonic Lodge are elected. And then, the person elected to lead the lodge, called the Worshipful Master, appoints several other positions.
I’ve been appointed Chaplain of my lodge. It’s a position I had last year as well. Masons are spiritual but not religious. The only requirement being that a man believe in a Supreme Architect of the Universe.
That’s who the prayers are directed to, “Supreme Architect of the Universe.” No reference to any other deity is made. Prayers are unique, but written down. They end with a simple “Amen.” After which the members of the lodge reply in unison, “So mote it be.”
It’s somewhat unusual to be in a position for multiple years. At least it is in our lodge. I consider it a unique opportunity to be chaplain again. Meeting only once per month, sometimes it’s hard to get a handle on a role in only a dozen chance. Now I have a dozen more.
But, as I told my uncle all those years ago, I’m in it for the long haul. There will be many more months and years in the future.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
Follow him on
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or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
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I was recently reviewing some old journals. And I was struck by a useless piece of information that I included on a much too regular basis.
Weather.
Seriously, why? I don’t get it. I mean, I do. I love to check the temperature. We have a lot of canyons here in Utah. Canyon weather is much different than valley weather. As we enter a canyon I’ll check the temperature. (Of course my car can track the temperature. . .why else would you have a car?) And I make the kids guess how much the temperature will drop by the time we get to our destination.
Okay, truthfully, I guess. The kids don’t care. It’s not unusual for the temperature to drop 10 degrees or more on a trip up the canyon.
The local high school and junior high display the temperature. They display it to the tenths of a degree.
Tenths! Like anyone can tell the difference between 51.1 and 51.2 degrees. And as I drive by the high school I check to see how close the temperature reported on the school sign is to the temperature reported by my car. Sometimes, if my neighbor is with me he checks the weather station that he has at his house.
And it doesn’t just intrude on our daily activities. Many of us, myself included, feel that the temperature is important enough to record in journals. I am not sure why it was important for me to know that on June 26, 2007 it was 99 degrees in Nauvoo, IL.
Oh, and for the record it was 60.5 degrees on the high school board today. Cool and breezy. . .you know just in case I’m reading this later and want to know.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
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I’ve been scribbling in this space for over 8 years. In all that time, I’ve consistently posted Monday through Friday. Once per day. . .every day.
Welcome to “bonus time.” November is known for a couple things. Men not shaving (Movember) and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.) I’m participating in both. Maybe later I’ll do post with what my “mo-stache” looks like at the end of the month. But, I’m guessing you’ll be more interested in the writing portion.
NaNoWriMo is about writing a 50,000 novel in a month. That’s about 1500 words per day. This post, for example is about 300 words. (It doesn’t count toward the NaNoWriMo goal.
I’m writing in my Syren universe. I’ve talked about it before. Syren is a planet with no metal and a population almost all of whom are deaf. Why are they deaf? That’s part of the story. Why aren’t they ALL deaf? That’s also part of the story? What happens when the deaf people find the hearing people? Yeah. Oh, and how does one “sing” to a rock and make it move?
All part of the bigger picture.
Unfortunately I won’t be sharing the actual daily words here. But, I PROMISE to share them all eventually. (I will share some scenes on occasion.) What I will share is the all important word count.
Fifty thousand words is more than I’ve written in a continuous line previously. I would estimate that in the 2200+ posts I’ve made over the years, this site probably has over a million words. But, the topics range all over.
Anyway, if you’d like to follow along as I stretch my goals, feel free to watch this space. My NaNoWriMo posts will also be daily and will be tagged with #NaNoWriMo and #Syren.
Oh, and my current word count? Zero. Time to write.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
Follow him on
Twitter (@rodneymbliss)
Facebook (www.facebook.com/rbliss)
LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com/in/rbliss)
or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
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I don’t trust my mechanic!
I thought you did your own work on your cars?
I do. That’s the problem
I had a friend whose father was a concert orchestra conductor. She said it was impossible for him to go to a concert because he spent the entire time critiquing the conductor. I feel that way with my car.
Does your car sometimes make an unusual noise? Sure. Everyone’s does. What do YOU do? You probably think, “That was weird” and go on about your day. Want to know what I do? I start going over all the things that could be causing it.
Recently, over the past few weeks my car has started to make a growling noise under the hood. Not all the time. Just when I get going above about 40 MPH. You know, any time I’m going fast. At first I thought it was an issue with the muffler or tailpipe.
Nope. Both of those checked out fine. My next thought was possibly a crack in the exhaust manifold. The exhaust manifold is the part that connects the engine to the exhaust system. It gets really hot and if it cracks your car is going to sound like a 1970s muscle car.
Of course, I also checked the oil and other fluids, just in case it was more serious. They were fine. No leaks. But, the growling was slowly getting worse.
And then on Friday it stopped. Literally. I was driving down the freeway at 80 MPH and the entire engine stopped. All the lights on the dash lit up. And the engine was absolutely dead.
My car is a standard transmission, so I could coast. I tried to “push start” the car but it was pretty dead. Fortunately, I was already in the exit lane and managed to coast to a stop off to the side of the road.
A phone call and my friend was on his way to come pick me up. . .my CAR friend. We discussed what could possibly be the issue. A failed fuel pump will make your stop running. But, the fuel pump wouldn’t have caused a growling noise.
I was thinking perhaps it was something inside the engine. Maybe a timing belt. If the belt was fraying, that might sound like a growl. And if the belt breaks that will make the car stop.
We came back later with my Suburban to tow the car to my house. Just on an off chance I tried to start it. It fired right up. Okay, more mystery. We drove to the auto parts store to get parts for a repair on my Suburban the next day.
When we came out of the parts store? Yep. Dead again. So, back inside. At this point, we’d seen enough. Or, I should say my buddy had.
I don’t think it’s the fuel pump. And definitely not the timing chain. I think the issue is that the ignition coil is having an issue.
.
How would that cause the growling?
.
No idea. It shouldn’t.
We bought a new ignition coil, but it was at the South Orem store. So, we took the Suburban and picked it up. We were going to install it in the parking lot.
Before we do that, let’s try starting it again.
Yep. Fired right up and I made a beeline for my house and my garage full of tools.
Saturday I replaced the ignition coil.
The ignition coil is that black rectangle between the engine and the (white) distributor cap
The new ignition coil came in a really fancy looking box. Not bad for $27
They certainly didn’t lose any money on packing materials
Old one on top, new on the bottom. Yeah, that crack shouldn’t be there.
This is where the ignition coil and the distributor cap go. They are sort of important to making the car go
Other than being slightly cleaner looking, not much difference in the before vs after
The old one was cracked. As it heated up it would fail.
Today I drove my car back and forth to work with no issues. . .oh, except it makes this growling noise when I go above 40 mph.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
Follow him on
Twitter (@rodneymbliss)
Facebook (www.facebook.com/rbliss)
LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com/in/rbliss)
or email him at rbliss at msn dot com(c) 2021 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved
