Month: December 2008

Pez Dispensers

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

This Christmas I was given 3 new Pez dispensers to add to my growing collection.

I actually started this collection in 1999 when Star Wars Episode 1 came into theaters and the stores started selling the Star Wars Pez dispensers.  I decided to buy each individual Pez dispenser which were just under $1 I think.  I can’t recall.  But when we got home I didn’t have any place to put them so I placed them side by side on a very large mirror which was on the wall where my desk was so as I sat at the computer I’d be looking at Pez dispensers.

I told a few people about them and next thing you know people are sending them to me in the mail and when I visit people they are giving me these Pez dispensers.  I never asked for them but I won’t refuse it either lol.

All of a sudden I had a huge amount of these little things that I went to the hardware store to buy wood to make a shelf and found these really thin and small pieces of wood so I got a bunch and some little nails and built me a shelf.  When we moved to Bakersfield in 2000 I put the shelf up in the kitchen right next to my desk and at first there were maybe 20 Pez dispensers but now there are 104 Pez dispensers on the shelf in my bedroom.

I have 5 Pez dispensers that are in their original packaging (although the packaging is getting too old and is tearing) because they have no feet which means they are valuable.  And I have the 3 newer ones still in their tin which I will never take them out of because again, it gives them value.  When I think about it I should have never taken any of them out of their package but that’s ok, what’s done is done.

Here is a picture of all the Pez dispensers on the shelf as well as the new ones in their tin.  Click the image below for full size.

pezorange_county_pez

Dell DJ Battery

On By Michel McDonaldIn Gadgets, MusicLeave a comment

Since my Dell DJ battery is too big but it still works I have to just keep it on the outside lol.  I have a neoprene camera case that it fits perfectly into and I had it out because I was adding a CD to the   and all of a sudden it shut off and I looked and one of the wires snapped off where it had been soldered.  Needless to say I’m not happy because when I start riding my bike again I will have no music to listen to unless I can find someone with a soldering iron.

Too Cold For Our Cat

On By Michel McDonaldIn PetsLeave a comment

Our cat has been living in our patio which is sort of still being outside without being inside.  It gave her some freedom of being outside but at the same time she couldn’t leave the property and roam around the neighborhood.  It’s like she had her own room lol.

It’s too cold now, about 35°F so she’s decided “it’s too cold, I need to be in the house again.”  While we were in San Diego I kept her in the kitchen, although she found a way to escape so she could roam around the house.  But now that it’s too cold she’s going to stay inside until at least February or March when it starts getting warmer again, at least in the 50’s – 60’s.

In case you’re wondering, she loves it out there on the patio.  Every time we bring her in the house, she scratches at the back door to get out and she looks up at me to open the door.  If I’m not in the kitchen she’ll come find me and meow then walk away like she wants me to follow her and she’ll lead me to the back door.  She’s a very smart cat.

Bad CD

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

On Sunday, the day before we left for San Diego, I burned a bunch of CD’s from music that I bought online (mp3’s for my mp3 player) so that we have some good music to listen to during our ride and I was totally disappointed when one of the CD’s didn’t play at all.  It was the latest Backstreet Boys CD called Unbreakable.  The 2nd song played fine but all the rest of the songs didn’t play at all.  I don’t know what happened.

I also burned the Charmed Final Chapter CD which I love personally because the songs remind me of the show which I miss.  Darrin wasn’t into that CD though and there were 2 Buffy the Vampire Slayer CD’s that I put in the cars CD player (it holds 6 discs) and I didn’t bother playing those because if he didn’t like the Charmed one then forget about the buffy ones hehe.

I think I’m going to start up the thing with Yahoo where you pay $15 a month and you get unlimited music downloads as opposed to having to pay $15 and get 15 songs from iTunes.  I will most likely only get a few CD’s here and there and not that often but who knows.

Back Home

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

We got back home today around 5pm.  I was so glad that my cat was ok hehe.  She apparently escaped her prison cell (the kitchen) by pushing on the door hehe.  She’s never tried that before so she always stayed in the kitchen when we go out or when we lock her up all night long.  I bring her in from the patio at night so she doesn’t freeze to death and I have to lock her in the kitchen because the dog eats her poop from the litter box so she’s used to being locked up in the kitchen by now.

We had some left over Rum from the fruitcake so when we went to the store tonight we got some Egg Nog and so I had an egg nog with rum which is rare for me because I normally love egg nog by itself.  Wow I put so much rum in it and it was only like 10% of the glass lol.  I ended up having to water it down with tons of egg nog lol.

Well, I’m glad to be home now.  I’m looking forward to buying a new bike wheel so I can start riding my bike again.

Christmas Eve

On By Michel McDonaldIn HolidaysLeave a comment

T’was the night b4 Xmas and all thru the house, not a psp was stirring, not even a chihuahua.

Hehe.

I just figured out how to make paragraphs with my psp so I’m taking full advantage.

Tomorrow were all going to Sarah’s house and we’re probably going to be there for a while so i will observe blog silence until we get home.

Merry Christmas to all, don’t drink too much egg nog.

More Fruit Cake?

On By Michel McDonaldIn Food, HolidaysLeave a comment

When Butch (Darrin’s brother) came home from work what was he carrying? A fruit cake hehe. Well its bed time, I’ve taken an Ambien, I’m going to start reading a very good book a very good friend gave to me for Christmas. I will blog more tomorrow after the days events.

We Arrived in San Diego

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

After 5 1/2 hours in the hot car holding a hot chihuahua we arrived in Lakeside (San Diego). We had to have the heat on because of the cold from the rain and the defroster to keep the windows from being foggy. A lot of the trip was foggy but not because of the windows. There was snow on the ridge. I was told to mention that. Well since I’m using my PSP to blog I’m going to cut this short.

Fruit Cake In The Making

On By Michel McDonaldIn Food, HolidaysLeave a comment

WOW! I knew there was a lot of ingredients but this is a lot. The fruit and nuts are soaking in rum right now for 3 hours then I get to mix the rest of the ingredients. It’s 5lbs. which if sold at a specialist bakery would be $100. So I’m at least satisfied with that. I really can’t wait for it to be done.

Hours later…

The fruit cake is in the oven for 3 1/2 hours.  I’m looking forward to taking it out and tasting hehe.  By the way, I said earlier that the fruits and nuts were 5lbs.  Well, with the batter it’s over 7lbs.  After I put the fruit cake mix in each aluminum container I weighed them (there are 3 cakes) and they are about 2 3/4lbs each.

Update: 1 1/2 hours to go.  Boy does it smell so good.  I keep looking at it and see it rising and see the color of the cake getting darker and just the smell makes me want to just take it out of the oven early and just take a slice.  But I gotta let it cook all the way because if I don’t it’s not gonna taste right lol.

Update: Ok, I guess I forgot to update this post way back when but the fruit cake was a complete success.  I followed the directions completely and it over cooked just a little so it tasted a little burned but that didn’t stop it from doing a disappearing act real fast.  Next Christmas I’m going to make this again since it was such a hit but not cook it for the exact complete time that it said.  Maybe slice off (pun intended) half hour.  Just to make sure it doesn’t get burned.