Ray Hudson: Announcing Genius

I have several guilty pleasures. One dealing with spandex, baby oil, a four-squared circle, and lots of muscles (I'll let your imagination fly...).

One, of course, is soccer. Another, which occurs in watching soccer and the first guilty pleasure, is sports announcing. There is a certain announcer who always speaks during the La Liga games; especially Real Madrid and Barcelona. His name is Ray Hudson.

Maybe it is because he is Irish; maybe he has a LOT of time on his hands to come up with certain sayings. But whenever he opens his mouth, he is always very imaginative.

Here are a few saying from Ray, during two Barcelona games (my fav's are bold):

Dracula going after a plate of liver (someone attacking the ball)

He could follow you into a revolving door, and still come out first (of Messi, running quickly)

bamboozled

superlative (shortened version: super)

gargantuan

rollie-polly

hodgy-podgy

poppy-cock

He gets up on his galloping horse and cuts you apart

intestinal fortitude

Turns the clock back like Superman

Lady luck twinkling in their Spanish Eyes

Portuguese Peach (reference to Ronaldo)

Captain gets caught with his knickers down a bit (captain of the team makes a mistake)

Committing hairy-kairy

Spitting verbals like Mussolini in the balcony

spank

Synchronized and super slick

Fabulous fly's eyes vision

His little lollipop

Ticky-tack-ah

Tombstones in their eyes

Send one to the hospital, send others to the morgue

Lumps the size of broccoli on the backs of his calve (ref. to amount of tackles Messi receives)

Put on a torture rack and he will smile at you (ref. to after Messi is tackled, he gets right back up)

Cerebral dictator

Virtuoso football

In absolute 7th heaven

contentious

audacious

Keep possession time on a sundial (ref. to Barcelona's play tactic of holding the ball)

When they touch the ball, its like a thousand of tiny knats swarming (R.Madrid incapability of keeping the ball against Barcelona)

Meliange of Magic

As nasty as a rat bite (a rough tackle)

You can only imagine a list Ray goes through, each game! I will update whenever I can of the amazing adjectives he uses during the La Liga games I watch. You never know, one day you may use one!

My Reasons for Watching the European Soccer Leagues

As anyone can account when receiving a "tweet" from my twitter account, I have began watching the English Premiere and La Liga soccer leagues as of late.

When the World Cup ended, my mother and I discussed ordering the extra soccer channels on our satellite distributor. Every morning from June 10th to July 11th, my mother and I would get up around 4:30am to watch nearly every game in the South Africa World Cup. When the Cup ended, we suddenly had nothing exciting to watch. Thus began the interest in the English leagues, with the soccer giants Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Liverpool, etc...

Once the season took off, I was hooked. These games are exciting and fun to watch. But, in my opinion, nothing beats watching the La Liga club, FC Barcelona.

In La Liga, the Premiere league in Spain, there are two teams who either come in first or second: FC Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Real Madrid is a team built with money. Their new coach, Jose Mourinho, has already won two UEFA Championships (basically who is the best team on the European continent) with Inter Milan and Chelsea; he has an absolute arrogance to him. Mesut Ozil, seen in the German team for the World Cup; he is young but an amazing player.

Then, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo. He is sexy, is being paid 80 million to play, and I would not mind seeing his face every morning.

Also, he is a complete man-whore, who after the World Cup, announced he was a father from a one-night-stand (not judging or anything). He can also kick the ball around pretty well.

(Picture Left: Ronaldo in his latest Armani add. This was the safest picture I could find...and yes, I feel just a little dirty. But only a little bit!)

Real Madrid is an amazing team, built with some of the best players around. But I feel that FC Barcelona is the best team.

The team has been home-grown; most players begin in their training camps, then are moved to the no.1 team. Passing is one of their strongest points; where most teams connect maybe an average of 200 passes, Barcelona reach as high as 600 completed passes; per game. They pass you to death. Not only the passing, but the constant patience. Long balls are very rare; short, triangular passes up to the goal line are their signature.

It helps they have Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi (his first name is not pronounced like Lionel Richie; but I really can't help myself) is a joy to watch; he just playas around everyone. You can tell he has fun playing soccer. And all I can think is that, with that hair cut, he looks like a video game nerd. But cute and adorable enough that it would not matter.

(Picture Left: Messi; how does he look at all threatening? Hard to imagine he is, at this moment, one of the best soccer players in the world)

Carles Puyol (no idea how to pronounce his first name) is Barcelona's captain and a central defender. If you watched the final game at the World Cup, you may recognize his hair; it's long and curly; I read that when he retires he will cut it.

We can only hope.

(Picture Right: Puyol; his nick-name on the team is Tarzan. Can't imagine why...)

Midfielders such as Xavi (pronounced cha-v-e) and Iniesta control their areas, feeding balls to Messi to score (already Messi has over 25 goals and the season is only halfway).

Newcomers like Bojan (pronounced bouillon), who in the Under 21 league for Barcelona had over 1000

goals (according to the announcers), Barcelona can only get better.

So, why have I written this. Mostly it is for my friends who constantly have "tweets" to their phones about these European teams. In almost an apology to them, I am sorry you all have to experience certain games with me (I really could not help myself when FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid occurred). Because if we ever get together, up until April when the European teams end their seasons, you will be hearing all about it.

Stephen Hawking’s A Briefer History of Time: A Review

There was a young lady of Wight

Who traveled much faster than light.

She departed one day,

In a relative way,

And arrived on the previous night.

pg 108; On wormholes and time travel

For anyone interested in learning more about the theories regarding the universe (in physics, quantum mechanics, mathematical equations, etc), this book is a perfect gem. Written for the public knowledge, it removes the largely complicated information regarding worm holes, string theory, etc and focuses on the basics of the ideas. Starting out with Newton’s laws of gravity and Einstein’s theory of relativity, Hawking gives the reader the background needed to understand the rest of the book.

My favorite chapters were Newton’s Universe, Relativity, The Big Bang, Black Holes, and the Evolution of the Universe, and The Forces of Nature and the Unification of Physics. The last chapter I mentioned, especially the Unification of Physics, discusses string theory, a topic that I find very interesting. The only chapter I could not follow was on Quantum theory (i.e. quantum mechanics = electrons, positrons, quarks, etc); the only time I ever acted interested in quantum mechanics was at a science trip, and I only stayed awake because the guy had an amazing Australian accent.

So, for anyone interested in the general theories of our universe, I definitely recommend this book. And if you cannot completely follow it, do not worry! It has pictures!

Grandma's Birthday Cake

This year I was in charge of making my grandmothers 82^nd birthday cake. Nervous, I scoured any cookbook I could find, looking at soufflés or very complicated cakes that would make me look professional.

In the end, I chose a simple chocolate cake right from my grandmother’s cookbook, The Red Cabin Cookbook, printed in 1981.

Here is the recipe:

In a large bowl sift together:

3 c flour

2 c sugar

6 T cocoa

1 t salt

2 t baking soda

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add:

¾ c oil

2 t vanilla

2 T vinegar

2 c cold water

Stir well and put into a well-greased and floured 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350˙ for 25 minutes.

For the cake I made, I separated the batter into two circle pans and placed them in the oven. As the batter expanded, it began to rise above the edge of the pans, making two domes. It took longer than 25 minutes to bake, but I would just watch to make sure it does not burn.

After taking them out of the oven and letting them cool (I baked at night and finished in the morning), I placed one upside down on the plate. Then, I placed a small layer of frosting on top, then placed the other cake on top; then frosted.

Unfortunately, I did not have enough cream cheese frosting (which I did buy from the store), so I had to improvise. Slicing the strawberries into fours, I used them as decorations to cover all the mistakes I had made.

The cake was a success and it was delicious.

Sometimes a simple cake is the best way to go when it comes to birthday cakes! Good luck with any cake making and decorating!

Questions

Now and then, I question the evolution of humans. Usually, these questions come up at work, either during my cleanings or sometimes at my other work place. Today, I came up with one:

Why would you try to was a huge shard of glass down a sink drain that is about 1-inch in diameter?

When using addition to count up a daily payments, wouldn't it be smart to look at the whole items (i.e. cash vs credit card) and combine the two? Rather than question whether I can add 2 + 2?

(i could explain more, but that would be dangerous)

The Garden: August 9, 2010

Once again, here are a couple pictures of the garden. Looking back, it is amazing all the plants started out as seeds and are now producing.

The raspberries are almost done, but the squash, zucchini, beans and strawberries are just starting. Even some of the sunflowers are as tall as me!

Picture to upper left: broccoli (fresh broccoli is absolutely delicious!)

Picture to upper right: flowers

(picture: the climbing beans; most have been climbing the corn, but hopefully more will go up the sticks.)

A Recipe

The raspberries have finally ripened and it is time to make fresh raspberry muffins! Here is my favorite muffin recipe:

Raspberry Muffins

Combine:

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Then, in the same bowl, add:

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix all together, then stir in:

1 1/4 cup fresh raspberries

Fill in greased muffin tins, at least 2/3rd full. Sprinkle the tops lightly with a mixture of cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, until lightly brown.

Cool, Eat and Enjoy!

The Garden: July 15, 2010

Here are just some more recent photos of the garden. So far, the only producing plants are the strawberries and sweet peas. The raspberries are almost ripe!

A ground view of the rows of corn, beans and squash plants:

A selection of lettuce, kale, and swisschard from our garden:

On Taking A Walk Through the Local Cemetery...

A couple of months ago, I typed up a hand written account of how my mothers fathers family arrived to the Valley, and became more interested. Unlike most families I know, only three known relatives are buried in cemeteries; recently deceased relatives have had their ashes buried in my grandmother’s front yard. And, although that would be an interesting account to retell, I would rather write about my most recent cemetery account.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to meet up with a friend and her sister for lunch and coffee, I had the brilliant idea to visit the local cemetery and find the one relative I had buried there in the ‘40s. Surprisingly, they agreed!

Although we could not find the grave, it was interesting and gloomy, reading all the tombstones; especially the children. To see that whole families, through the generations, laid to rest while markers for Unknown(s) were laid right next to them, unattended.

While walking through a section of the cemetery, it took me a couple of minutes to realize what area I was at. In the future, I would like to avoid the children’s section. Between years and months, their ages spanned. Some had no names, only living hours or days. What a hard life it must have been to live in the Valley at the beginning of the 20^th century.

Among the graves, you could see when a tragedy occurred. One grave stated “Male Japanese Died” (see photo). Another reads “Burned Unknown Male, 1909.” Perhaps in addition to old newspapers and records, information from the past can also be found in the cemeteries.

For this week, I take the trophy for being an odd friend, who invites her friends to the cemetery on a bright summery day to find a long lost relative. But I can deal with that – I would do it again!

Of Reading Body Language: A Beginning Observation

When in the employment which serves the general public, it is always good to be aware of others body language. This useful tool will help enhance your skills with dealing with difficult or stubborn customers.

Today, as I began to show a customer, anonymous of course, around the hotel, I noticed his silence and unwillingness to follow my lead. What does that tell you?

It tells me, the observer, that the customer will come down later to look and wants to go up to their room. And seeing as I was following the language of the customer, I complied. He seemed most pleased, and did come down in a better mood (and new room, but that is another story). I then showed him around the hotel, pointing out items and information I could not do before.

Although I felt I had accomplished a successful body language read, my employer did not share my enthusiasm. My employer was shocked and disappointed at my apparent unwillingness to make the customer follow my walkthrough.

So, as a beginning observationist into body language, I succeeded where the customer was concerned. However, I failed at complying to my employers demands. Which could lead into another discussion of:

“Who is really always correct: Your Employer or Your Customer?”

So, should any readers like to discuss, what is your take? Should people pay attention to customer’s body language and comply, or go by what your employer has demanded?

Until then, have a great day and enjoy the weather!

A Library Added as well as Shelves

While the weather was absolutely atrocious, reconstruction began at my house. As my uncle works in construction, my mother hired him to make five shelves, four for downstairs, and one shelve for the dishes:

Downstairs

Before:

After:

The Library

Yes, those are steins....

Before, this area had two separate shelves and crates inbetween.

Odd Photos I Could Not Resist!

Just Cooling Off....

Dial-Your-Twin!

This type of mannequin has dials where you would take measurements for making a dress. Currently it has my sizes, but we had to put a bra on top, and a roll of towels on the bottom to create my size. Now, how did it get to my house you may wonder?

Well, when I found out I would be attending a certain somebody's graduation party, I inquired about having my mother make me a dress (I cannot sew - and have no desire to learn). My grandmother was trying to give the mannequin away, but my mother and I avoided her until my cousin took it away.

Then it ended up in my aunt's shed. Who called my mother when she found out we were making a dress (and now a dirndl for work). Then my mother sent me to get the Dial-Your-Twin.

And now it is once again back at my house.

Karma, I may add, always comes back around.

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you! Somewhere, my dad was told that if you BBQ a chicken with an open can of beer, it would be delicious. How could I resist taking a picture of this! It is definitely not something you see every day!

The Garden: June 25, 2010

My, oh my, I have not posted in quite a while! And, as usual, I do have several reasons as to why I have not posted. I could say the weather was absolutely crappy, getting use to my job took a while longer, I suddenly have to clean more often at my cabins, two of my friends graduated college (AMAZING JOB CHANDRA AND MELISSA!) and the World Cup (Go USA! that's the first time I'm actually excited for USA) started June 11th and I have watched every game that has been played. However, without going into too much detail, I will make the conclusion of I have just been lazy.

Here are some of the recent garden pictures I took this morning:

As you can see, the garden has finally started growing! Most of these plants were transplanted two weeks ago, and once the sun came out, they just sprouted up!

View from the field: I got most of the garden in the photo, with the exception of the other raspberry bushes to the left.

The first cherries on this tree! We planted them last year and were surprised that fruit was actually growing.

Random Photos

Just a random photo that did not really fit will with The Garden: June 1, 2010 blog!

Which picture do you like better? The natural color or the sepia?

The Garden: June 1, 2010

All right. I do have an explanation as to why I have not been posting. I finally got a job!

So, I have been busy just figuring out the workings of a new job and have not had the energy for any posting. Also, the weather has been absolutely horrible these past few weeks, nothing could be done in the garden. Instead of posting pictures of sad, ugly, and wilting plants, I held off.

Fortunately, the garden was finally planted yesterday, when the weather held out for the first time in two weeks. So far, all the plants seem to be doing better in the ground. Hopefully it will not freeze anymore (it is June...but I would

hold my breath with this weather!).

Here are some of the pictures of the garden:

Picture of most of the garden! The six rows that have nothing planted contain seeds for corn-bean-squash (i.e. yellow and winter squash and zucchini). Those pine trees in the garden were only suppose to stay there for a year or so. It has been about six years. Looks like we have next years Christmas trees!

Picture of the peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe and irises. The posts in the back of the picture hold raspberry bushes and thornless black berries:

The first strawberry of the year has arrived!

Can you find it?

The destination does not matter as much as the journey

(Picture 1:http://www2.tbo.com/exposure/ar/659/372/2010/05/24/52222_lost.jpg)

The finale of Lost, for me, was amazingly beautiful and symmetrical. It ended where the show began. People were reunited with loved ones that we had not seen since the beginning. It made me cry in happiness and sorrow for two and half hours. For six years, I have watched this incredible, frustrating, confusing show. And now it’s over.

Done.

It is, in the literal sense, the end.

I feel like I have grown up with these characters. Six years ago, I was a senior in high school, just getting ready to graduate. And although I did not watch the show at first, and periodically stopped watching the show, it always pulled me back in. And now that it is over, I feel like I have lost a constant companion. Outside of the confusing story plots, mysteries that have never been solved, it was always about the people on the island. Their stories are why I watched the show.

And now that everything is over, I feel lost. I did not realize how much the end of a TV show, a TV SHOW, would affect me. Hours later I still feel sad about the show ending. It ended beautifully. There was, in truth, only one way to end a show like this. Maybe some feel cheated, but I feel that the end was the best.

For people who have never watched Lost: Rarely does a new concept for a show appear on TV, especially now. With all the remakes of shows and movies, Lost sets itself apart. Start from the beginning, and never skip an episode; you will miss something if you do. Lost was about a plane crash; the survivors had to learn to live on an island. But, in truth, it is about so much more. It is about people, and their relationships. It is about having faith and believing. Lost is a journey. The destination does not matter as much as the journey.

So, as Rose put it in the sixth season, episode one:

“It’s ok. You can let go.”

Thank you Lost. I never knew how much I actually cared for this show, until it finally ended. For the longest time, my favorite TV finale was when Grey’s Anatomy Denny died, but now, I have a feeling that it has been replaced. Thank you for the six years of quality mystery, heartbreak, and happiness.

“Remember. Move on. I will miss it more than I can ever say.”

~Damon Lindelof, co-creater of Lost, and his last words about Lost.

The Garden: May 22, 2010

The poor garden! With all this bad weather, my mother and I have not been able to transplant anything outside. The day the water turned on, it rained for three days after. Last night, it actually froze up at my house.

So, nothing has really happened in the garden, other than I put string up for the peas. This way, instead of the vines growing outwards and into pathways, they will grow upwards.

Until next time, with hopefully more exciting news!

A Movie To Watch On A Rainy Day

The Ghost and Mrs Muir

It's been a dream, Lucia. And in the morning and the years after. You'll only remember it as a dream and it'll die, as all dreams must die at waking.

Picture 1: http://themave.com/Tierney/films/ghost.htm

As my friends can attest, I love watching the old black and white movies. Give me a cold day, a blanket, spare time and you could catch me watching Casablanca. Although my fascination with Casablanca started when I was in high school, my love of old movies started at a young age. My mother would always watch Jimmy Stewarts It’s a Wonderful Life at Christmas and the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers whenever she felt like singing. But whenever a rainy day would come around, we would watch The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) and Gene Tierney, was released in 1947 by 20^th Century Fox and won the Academy Award for Cinematography. Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney), a recently widowed mother, buys a house on the coast of England, at the beginning the 20^th Century. Unbeknownst to her, the house is haunted by the previous owner, Captain Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), who has distaste for his new companions. However, after a nighttime confrontation, he decides to let them stay. When Lucy needs help with her income, Gregg helps her pen his memoirs of living on the open sea. The two become close, until Lucy begins to fall for a mortal man. Deciding instead to leave, Gregg erases his memory from Lucy, in hopes she will live a fulfilling life. Years go by until Lucy is an old woman. As she dies, Gregg appears once again, and the ghost of Mrs. Muir and Captain Gregg leave the house, hand in hand, together for the last time.

Now, I love the traditional chick flicks. I like how they always end well, with the hero and heroine always ending up together. They make you laugh when you are having a really bad day; they make you feel like Mr. Right is somewhere out in the world, just waiting to find you.

However, I believe the best romantic movies are the ones where the hero and heroine do not end up together. All through the movie, the audience cheers for them to be together. You want to see Patrick Swyaze and Demi Moore have just one more conversation in Ghost; to have Gerry and Holly have one more letter in P.S. I love you; to have Rick and Ilsa fly off together in Casablanca. But that is what makes these movies so great. It is easy to love someone, but it is harder to let the person go, especially when it is the right thing to do. That gut wrenching feeling audiences have when the two do not end up together is what makes the movie so great. Patrick’s character, Sam, has to move on but is able to say I love you; Holly learns it is okay to move on; Rick lets Ilsa go in order to fight for a cause. The tearjerker movies are the ones we remember; the ones that make us feel for the characters.

Picture 2: http://leclisse.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/3.jpg

In the Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Capt. Gregg lets Lucy go, so she can get on with her life. Half way through the movie, she is falling for a mortal man, but is still attached to the Captain. So he leaves, erasing her memory of him in the process. Unlike Ghost, Casablanca, or P.S. I love you, when Lucy passes away, Captain Gregg comes for her. And, for the first time in the whole movie, they hold hands and walk out the house together. Even though this movie does end with the two characters together, it can make you cry just because they are so happy in the end.

My advice for the many who do not like the old black and white movies: give it time. Right from the beginning of this movie, even the traditional fanfare trumpets announcing 20^th Century Fox are replaced by the brilliant Bernard Herrmann score, this movie will bring you into the romance of two very different personalities. So, find a rainy day, a warm blanket, sit down and enjoy The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

Here is the best trailer I could find: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA6J1yoh7t0&feature=related

Baking in the Microwave

A 5 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Cup

Ingredients

4 T flour

4 T sugar

2 T cocoa

1 egg

3 T milk

3 T oil

3 T chocolate chips, optional

Small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug, microwave safe

Add the dry ingredients to the mug and mix well. Add egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in milk and oil; mix well.

Add chocolate chips and vanilla. Mix again.

Put mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1,000 watts.

*The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!

Allow the mug to cool a little and tip the cake out onto a plate.

Eat and Enjoy!

Notes: If you are in ever a desperate mood for a quick and easy chocolate cake, this recipe does work in the microwave. Make sure to mix everything really well in the cup (I used a fork). The chocolate chips are essential for the taste; do not skip out on those.

The cake had a different texture, to put it nicely. But if you served it with whipped cream or ice cream, I believe it would make the cake better. The recipe may be flexible enough to substitute certain items, but beware that it is baked in a microwave. Maybe instead of an egg, applesauce or sour cream could be used.

But, if you have five minutes to spare and are interested, try out the recipe! It was fun to guess whether or not it would work, and to see, between my mother and I, who would eat it first (for the record, my mom took the first bite!).

Experiment, Eat, and Enjoy!

The Garden: May 13, 2010

Only one more day until the water is turned on outside! Everyone in Plain has been waiting for this day since March, when most people begin to plan their summer gardens. Hopefully, the morning freezes are over and then we can transplant the garden outside.

Over here, the water comes from the Chiwawa River. From the river, the water runs through a series of pipes and goes across Wenatchee River over the old bridge in Plain. From there it is divided into two. One section goes through the old logging ditch on my grandparents side of The Road. The other section goes into pipes underground that are on my families side of The Road.

Here are some photos of the plants outside on the deck:

A Natural Adhesive: Egg and Honey Pt. 2

Between Egg and Honey

Which, if not both, is better?

Picture 1: Rock 4, with mixture

When my first experiment ended and the write up began, all I could really think about was how to come away with better results. Using only the small amount of information from the Sherlock Holmes movie, I created several tests to see whether or not a mixture of egg and honey could for an adhesive to hold a sandstone grave stone together. After the experiment, and seeing the negative results, I decided to research into the hypothesis and then recreate the experiment, using several more tests.

Materials:

Six rocks broken into two, with very neat cracks

Two eggs

Honey

Metal whisk

Three plastic pastry brushes

A spoon

Butter knife

Five small bowls

Procedure:

Once again, I went outside and broke six rocks. While choosing whichever rock, I focused on rocks that looked like they would not shatter under pressure. I washed them off in plain water, and air-dried them for the experiment.

Taking the two eggs and three bowls, I separated one egg and kept the other whole. Using the information I gained from my research, I independently whisked each bowl, especially taking more time with the egg white. For spreading the egg out, I used the pastry brushes. In the last bowl, I put a spoonful of honey, using the butter knife to dish it onto the selected rocks. (Picture 2: The Rocks 1-6 labeled and with mixtures applied)

For the water portion of the experiment, I submerged each rock into a common serving bowl and let them individually sit in tap water for a couple of minutes. Then, using my fingers, I removed as much of the mixture from each rock and set them ouside to dry.

Results:

Rock 1: Rock 1 had a mixture of honey in the crack with egg white completely encasing the rock. When the mixture dried, the rock still fell apart into two; the honey never dried. However, the egg white left a very polished look. This trait was common in all rocks. After the rock had been submerged into the water, the mixture came off easily and left a little bit of residue in the water. The rock had not physical evidence of the mixture after drying in the sun.

Rock 2: Rock 2 had a mixture of a whole egg, whipped. After the mixture had dried, other than a very polished look, there was no evidence of tampering. Using just my strength, I was unable to break the rock into two. During the water submersion, the rock became slimy and the water gave off an egg smell (as well as Rock 3 and 4). In the water, you could see parts of the egg white. I was still unable to break it apart, including after it had dried in the sun.

Rock 3: Rock 3 only had a mixture of whipped yolk. It gave off a very yellowish tint and small bubbles appeared after the rock had dried. I was unable to break it into two after it had dried. Of all the rocks, this was the slimiest in the water and it also was unbreakable, even after drying it outside.

Rock 4: Rock 4 had honey in the crack with yolk on the whole surface. However with a very waxy feeling, the yolk left no hint of yellow. It was easily broken into two pieces, as the honey had not dried. When submerged in the water, the rock was as slimy as Rock 2, and pieces of the yolk were in the water. It cleaned easily, including the honey.

Rock 5: Rock 5 had only whipped egg white over the whole surface. It left barely any gloss over the rock. After extensive force, the rock broke into two. In the water, Rock 5 was the easiest to clean and there was no sign of the egg white.

Rock 6: Rock 6 had honey poured over one side of the rock and in between the crack. The honey did not dry at all but it did dissolve fairly quickly in water. It left a sweet honey smell in the water.

In Conclusion:

The results from this experiment were very different from the last. Any rock that was put back together with honey could not stand up to pressure and fell apart. However, some of the just egg mixtures were too strong and would not dissolve in water. Using just yolk showed obvious signs of tampering due to the yellowish tint and the tiny bubbles; also, the yolk does not dissolve. Although egg white does not show any signs of tampering, it alone is not strong. I would say the best mixture would be to use a whole egg that has been whipped, to keep something together. However, using the whole egg would mean that the slab of stone that Sherlock Holmes investigated would not break into pieces under rainwater. I suppose a combination of egg white only and whole egg mixtures could solve the problem.

So, in short hand, the conclusion is simple. Do not use honey to glue anything together as it does not dry. Using the yolk of an egg will cement things together and will not dissolve in water, as well as using a whole egg. Egg white leaves no glossy residue, but breaks apart after some for is applied to it; it also dissolves easily in water.

I hope everyone who reads this has enjoyed this journey through experimentation! This question of whether or not egg and honey could create an adhesive has been an interesting expedition that I have fully enjoyed in experiencing. Should anyone have any questions about the experiment or conclusion, please leave me a comment and I will answer it to the best of my ability. If you have any suggestions for future experiments of topics of interest, also leave me a comment!

The Tractor

For a more happier post, here a picture of my Grandpa Bill's old tractor, that my dad got when he died. Eventually I will have another post up that I have been working on for a while!

Enjoy your Friday!

And Chandra - Happy Birthday, tomorrow!!!!

The Garden: May 7, 2010

Today's weather has been very interesting: sunny, cloudy, rainy and then sunny again. As of two days ago, I have been getting up in the mornings with my mother and Chewie to walk/jog around our property for exercise so I have been quite sore as of late. Today started off this way, but instead of jogging I just walked with my mother. We talked about her having to take in my Grandmother for another checkup, about my dog's side-ways running, and about this weird May weather.

After she left, I had really nothing to do other than watch Supernatural (on at my house at 8am - which is when we come in from our walk) and drink coffee. I thought about updating my blog for the first time in May and what I should write about. Also, I finally was able to check out The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes from the public library, so I have been reading that. All in all, a slow day.

Then, around 2 pm I got a call from my mother that my grandmother was back in the hospital in Leavenworth. Coming back from Wenatchee, she was not feeling very well so, just as a precaution they stopped at the hospital. My mother called me to bring down some more clothes for her. And then I had the unpleasant experience of telling my uncle and grandfather that grandma was in the hospital.

I never want to do that again.

So, I am hoping that today ends sunny, as I have already gone through cloudy and rainy.

Here are some pictures of the garden:

Around the pea starts you will notice a toilet paper roll, whic

h has been cut in half and shoved into the ground. This is for if the cutworms get the plants. Cutworms are garden killers and should be completely and utterly destroyed if you find any in your garden! As they eat the roots of the plants, you can try to stop them by using the toilet paper roll method or use diotomaceous earth, sprinkled around the plant after the soil is dry. Other than that, you have to dig around each plant and pick the little suckers out of the soil.

UPDATE: After some bladder procedure, Grandma is back home. Apparently she was allergic to whatever medication they gave her. You would think, with a medical degree, a doctor would have figured that out sooner!

Oil Painting

Hello! Guten Morgen!

Instead of any pictures of the garden this week, as we did nothing because of the weather, I am instead uploading a picture of art. This oil painting was done in my last year of high school and is the only time I ever worked with oil. Also, I believe this is the last art piece I have as I threw all the others away.

Hope you enjoy it!

Research Update

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about an experiment I had completed, concerning an ancient Egyptian adhesive that was used in the most recent Sherlock Holmes. In the movie, a sandstone block had been broken into pieces, and glued together with a mixture of egg and honey, only to be washed away with the London rain.

With just the description in the movie, I set out several experiments to test Holmes’ deduction. I found that an egg and honey mixture did not glue together and showed obvious signs of tampering; also, although just a honey concoction glued the rock together, it left a very shiny residue. Both combinations dissolved with water. Also, the type of rocks I used were just ones I found and broke apart outside in the garden. I am no geologist, and nearly failed Geology 101 in college, so I have not clue what sandstone is, what it looks like, or where I would find it.

So, after writing up my experiment, I decided I would do a little more research into the details of this topic.

In the movie, Holmes called the solution an ancient Egyptian mild adhesive, containing a mixture of egg and honey (2009). Egg and honey, separately or together, were used during the ancient Egyptian times (Lucas, Nicholson). The Egyptians used both organic and non-organic materials for adhesives; organic adhesives included oils from animals, plant nectars, bitumen, beeswax, resin, honey, and egg (Lucas 2, Nicholson 475). Both the egg white and yolk can be used separately or together, as long as it has been diluted with water (Nicholson 476). Using just the yolk does cement objects together and will not dissolve after drying (Nicholson 476). Using only egg white will not join anything together. Before brushing any egg white onto anything, the white must be whipped to break up the protein albumen, which makes the white very stringy (Nicholson 475-476). Using the liquid underneath the froth, from after the whipping, it can be used as an organic adhesive (Nicholson 476).

According to Edward Keller, sandstone is a type of sedimentary rock (72). Sedimentary rocks that undergo chemical or physical changes as layers of sediment are pressed together (Keller 72). There are two types of sedimentary rocks; detrital, which are formed by parts of broken rock that form together, and chemical, created from deposits that come into contact with chemical or biochemical processes by particles dissolved in water (Keller 79). Sandstone is classified as a detrital sedimentary rock, and they type of stones is classified by grain size (Keller 81).

The strength of a particular rock is tested by the compressive strength measurement (compressing rocks to tests when breaks or fractures occur) (Keller B-1). Using the metric formula of N/m 2 (Newton per meter-squared), here is a table of rock strength, including sedimentary:

Table B-1: Compressive Strength Measurements
Rock	Type	Force (10tothe6 N/m2)
Igneous	Granite	100 to 280
Metamorphic	Quartzite	150 to 600
Sedimentary	Limestone	50 to 60
	Sandstone	40 to 100

The strength of the sandstone varies with the type (Keller B-1). For example, Graywacke is a mixture of sand that has several different grain sizes, making it very weak (Keller 81). Quartzose sandstone is made mostly of quartz and is one of the stronger types of sandstone (Keller 81). I am assuming the Blackwood’s tomb, if it were real, would have been made of a strong type of sandstone, possibly quartzose.

From the small amount of research I was able to accomplish without a college library or resources, I have been able to conclude two inquiries. Even without honey, the mixture of an egg can be used as an organic adhesive. Furthermore, sandstone can be used as part of a crypt as long as it is the stronger type. However, I have been unable to see whether or not sandstone, when broken, can holds its weight before a solution of egg and honey can be dissolved with water, or in the movie, rain. The only way to find this would be to recreate the movie. Seeing as I am unable to do that, or even find sandstone (or even the size of said sandstone), I can only rely on what I have found.

Using this information, in the coming days or weeks, I will recreate my experiment using new techniques to see if I can find a better conclusion.

Note: I am not a geologist, nor have I barely studied anything to make me an expert. Please take anything I write with a grain of salt! What I write up is how I understand it to be! Should I be wrong, please comment and I will change it!

If you have any ideas on how to continue this experiment, please comment! I have some ideas that will work but anything more is always helpful! Thanks!!!

Work Cited

Keller, Edward A. Introduction to Environmental Geology. 3^rd Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey. 2005.

Lucas, Alfred and J.R. Harris. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries. Dover Publications, New York. 1999.

Nicholson, Paul T. and Ian Shaw. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology. Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom. 2000.

Richie, Guy (Director). 2009. Sherlock Holmes. Silver Pictures. Hollywood, CA