Space Drums and Handpans

Or, space hands and drumpans. Whatever. My latest obsession. There are quite a lot of different styles and sounds. They seem to be all over Youtube. They even sound good with a didgeridoo. There aren't many instruments that can make that claim, and back it up. Here's a vid of Yuki Koshimoto playing hers. She disabled the video of her and the didgeridoo guy playing, what the hell?

Now go buy a t-shirt or something, damn it!

No Smoking!

I am trying to quit smoking...again. Yeesh! It would be much easier if I actually wanted to. I know my foot will heal faster if I do, but I turn into a nervous wreck after a few hours. I made it for about two days, but only because I knew I could have one this morning. I didn't think it was possible for me to be even more moody than usual, but, it was. I will keep at it.

Expresii Yourself!

Hey, all you watercolor lovers out there. I just found a new painting app. As I am usually late to the gate on almost everything, I am guessing it has been out for a while. But, it's new to me. Anyway, it's a watercolor painting app for your PC or tablet. It lets you do a wet on wet style of painting. It even makes the paint run when you tilt your tablet. (Do NOT try that with your PC). Here's the demo video for it...

Me and My Memory

Memory is a strange animal. I just remembered a song that I have been trying to put my finger on since the early 80's. Yeah, a hazy part of the tune has been floating around in my head meat for that long. I just figured that I would hear it on the radio, or something, and "voila!", I'd have it.

Didn't happen. I remember the year, because that same night, I heard Huey Lewis' "I want a new drugl" for the first time too. That, I remembered. And the odds got even worse when the internet popped up because radio kind of went the way of the buffalo, and the 80's just faded away. That wasn't the first decade to get locked in the closet, but I really do miss the music from it.

Anyway, I was half-ass listening to a webinar that was teaching me how to be a millionaire by Thursday, and it hit me. Not only the name of the song but the artist too. So, I tried to figure out what triggered it. I mean, after over 30 years of wracking my brain, I think I deserved an answer.

The guy babbling in the info video stuttered, and that's what triggered the memory. Here's the song.

I Miss Gyros!

One of the foods I miss most from the good old USA are Gyros. There were several places to get good ones in St. Louis, but I enjoyed them the most at the vendors that would set up during holiday celebrations. Every 4th of July, Octoberfest, etc, there were always Gyro stands around.

They are easy to make, and I can get everything here, but they just don't taste the same. Besides, other than talking about Gyros, it's really hard to work the word "tzatziki" into a conversation.

Here is a search results for a bunch of easy Gyro recipes.

Superbowl 51 Was a Hoot!

Well, another Superbowl has come and gone. Vit and I watched at the Hooters on soi 15. I don't think there was as big of a crowd this year, compared to last year, but it was still pretty full. It was definitely one of the best SB's in recent years. The falcons totally dominated the first half, and were up by like 3 touchdowns at the Gaga break.

 But, in the second half, the Patriots did what the Patriots do, they went ballistic. As much as I wanted to see Atlanta win, it was still an awesome comeback to watch. A lot of longtime records were broken in this game. In the end, it was the Brady bunch by a nose. I don't know why I thought it would be any different.

There were two guys that running around the bar high-fiving everyone each time the Falcons scored. But, at the end of the game they were sitting in a booth, quietly crying (literally). Anyway, a good time was had by all.

Thanks to Vit for being there, and to Jeab and the rest of the Hooter babes for taking good care of us. See you next year!

Here's a video someone shot during the halftime break. You can see Vit and I in it a few times.

Superbowl 51

Kind of like Area 51, isn't it? I was really hoping that Pittsburgh or Green Bay would make it to the big game. But, as a supporter of anyone against New England, you have to take what you are given. So, it's off to Hooters at 7am on a Monday morning for the game. At least Atlanta got top billing.

My First English Conversation Video

I have been playing with animated video to help my students practice their English Conversation. The video shows a new A/B set in each scene. When a scene appears, the teacher recites a line and the students repeat it.

Every scene gets one set longer, so the students must repeat the majority of the conversation several times. After the video has ended, I have the kids recite the entire conversation, then I do A and they do B, and then we switch to end the speaking part of the lesson. The video is only about 5 minutes long.

New England No No!

Could someone PLEASE beat the Patriots? You don't have to kick their ass to an embarrassing extent, not that that would bother me, just get rid of them. I would really like to see two of the other teams, that are having a consistently great year, play. I will admit that they looked better today than they have earlier in the season. But still, enough is enough. how about some new blood?

Medical Non-Incarceration Update

Well well well, just back from Thamassat hospital...AGAIN. The news wasn't too bad. The bones look good and the wounds are healing. My foot got a little red and swollen a few days ago though. The doc says it may just be a touch of arthritis. He says all my bio whatever levels are OK, so he doesn't think the infection is back.

He also said that he will unbolt this damn brace from my leg when I go back to see him in 3 weeks. He will put me in a cast for a few weeks after that, but a cast will be much easier to get around in, and I can kind of walk in it.That should give me a couple of days practice getting about before the Superbowl.

The doc, and MOST of the nurses, have been pretty groovy throughout this whole thing. But today, I met the head nurse of the Osteo department. I though this would be a piece of cake, but noooooo!

That woman tore off old scabs, yanked out old sutures, sliced off dead skin, and apparently, just to feel she had given me her all, she decided to dunk my foot in an alcohol bath. Plus, she didn't say a word through the whole thing. But, I did detect the slightest hint of a smile when my open wounds hit the alcohol. Upon our next meeting, there will be a reckoning, I swear it.

Super Bowl Superbowl Souperbowl

I had to do something. I had to do something quick. I had to do something WEIRD! This is my ode to the Superbowl. It's over h'yar.

Enough Already!

Is it just me, or did 2016 really suck? I don't know if it was all the problems with my foot, money issues, or just Trump, but I am damn glad it's over. I know I am not the only one too. I have never seen so many people that are happy for a fresh start. Let's hope things improve this go around.

Old School

Yeah, I know this its an old joke, but it still makes me laugh. I see it all of the time, but don't often see it on a t-shirt. Since a remember the pre cellphone / internet days fondly, I thought I would make it just for nostalgia's sake. It's in my Society 6 shop.

Khmer (Cambodian Coffee)

Whilst chowing down on tasty Mexican food at Casa Azul, a friend mentioned Cambodian coffee (aka Khmer). I had never heard of it before. I had heard that there were several coffee drinks native to this area of Asia that were supposed to be quite unique. Since coffee is cheaper than speed (depending on the blend), and possibly even a little easier to get here, the hunt was on!

Sveta was right when she said that it was not easy to get. Not only are the beans hard to get, but I have had a hard time just trying to nail down an authentic recipe for it. The recipe seems to be a shop / family secret. The recipes that I do come across are very simple, and look pretty much like this. I will keep looking.

To make Cambodian Coffee:

1. Open can of sweetened condensed milk and place the open can in a pot with water (it should come about 1/3 to 1/2 way up the can). Bring water to a boil.
2. Pour coffee into a mug, and then pour the sweetened condensed milk on top. Be sure to admire the layers at this stage!
3. Stir before you drink.

Medical Incarceration: The Final Chapter

Ah, just back from yet another luxurious vacation at the "Thamassat Medical University Resort and Casino". This was supposed to be the surgery to end all surgeries. I have my doubts. Mainly, because of the pesky bone infection that appears to follow the surgeries around. Wherever they operate, it gets infected. Of course, this is all my fault.

This time, they re-aligned the bones in my foot, wired them together, and then bolted this erector set looking brace to 7 places in my leg and foot. Not only is this rig screwed into my bones, but the damn thing weighs several kilos, and makes it very hard to get my pants on and off.

The Osteo department was not nearly as much fun as the Trauma department was. The nurses in Osteo have absolutely no sense of humor. As soon as I was able to snatch a wheel chair, I was out of there! I only had to stay there for 8 days. My wife says that they let me go home early because I wouldn't do what they told me to do anyway. Other than going outside every few hours to have a cigarette, I am not sure what I did. The Trauma nurses dropped by every now and then for a visit, so I couldn't have been too bad.

Anyway, The Osteo doctor is cool, but says that even though the wound is healing well, I have to wear this thing for 7 more weeks. Until then, I am recouping in exotic Pattananikom. I hope to be braceless and working again by March (If I still have a job). Just in time for baseball season. We'll see what happens.

Bangkok Night Ride II

I don't know what got in to her, but apparently, Sveta let Vit out of the house the other night, because he made a new night ride video. I have no idea what they are singing in the background, but it goes great with the traffic. Check this one out...

Medical Incarceration: Round 3

Well, I am off to the hospital...again. This is supposed to be the surgery to end all surgeries. I am not holding my breath. There is a 30% chance that I could wake up missing a foot. If not, then I will be laying there with a metal frame on my foot for a while. It's times like these that I definitely wish I was back in the good ole USA (before the Trumpification, of course). Anyway, It was good to get back to ranting on here again. I will be back in a few weeks, one way, or the other. Wish me luck!

Foot Thing

In the next installment of my never ending medical incarceration, I have to get the bones in my right foot re-aligned. The doctor also says that I will have to wear a contraption on my foot so the bones will heal in place properly. It will look something like this.

He also added that there was about a 70% chance that this would work. If it doesn't, then I will lose my foot so I won't develop any bone infection. The odd thing about this is that after this surgery, It will take at least 2 months to recover. But, if they amputate the foot, it would be healed enough to start using a prosthetic in less than a month. Either way, I will have a limp. Not too sure which is worse. I would really like to be done with all of this, and back to work.

Ba-ba-ba ba-na-naaaaa

Roong made banana muffins today! In the absence of a real oven, we have one of those dual things that is both a micro wave and an oven. It took her a little while to get used to it, but now she is a wiz at doing all kinds of things with it. It takes real will power for me to keep from eating a whole tray of the damn things though!

*Update: I think my dear wife is trying to kill me. I lost more than 30 pounds during my recent medical incarceration. This was due mostly to the fact that the food there tastes terrible and is always served cold, so I didn't eat as much. The weight loss made everyone happy.

But since I have been home, Roong has more than made up for it by making all of my favorites. I don't want to gain the weight back, but it's hard not to when you wake up to a foot tall stack of her pancakes. I ask her to take it easy on the cooking, and she smiles and says "OK", but then does it anyway. I shall seek to decipher her motives more thoroughly ... after just a few more muffins.

A New Mummy? Cruise????

I do not know which scares me more, another Mummy franchise attempt, or the fact that Tom Cruise is in it. The shlocky trio that came out with Brendon Frazier were OK, if just taken for what they were, silly action movies. But this? I can't even imagine the number of boxes of malted milk balls it would take me to get through it.

Cruise only has one style and one look, that "I'm angry, but not sure why" head tilt thing he does. "Jerry Maguire" and "A Few Good Men" are practically interchangeable for Pete's sake!. This may out bad The Rock as the tooth fairy (well, maybe not that bad). But seriously, didn't they learn anything from "War of the Worlds"? This is a whole new can of bad idea! Except for Sophia Boutella, of course, she can rest her camel at the oasis any time.

* Note: On the opposite side of the Hollywood coin, I watched "Suicide Squad" and "Dr. Strange". Those movies seemed to get a lot of bad reviews when they came out. I am not sure why. I was a Marvel Comics kid, and didn't really pay much attention to DC. Maybe that is why I didn't expect anything monumental from "Suicide Squad", but it kept me interested. "Dr. Strange" was pretty good. They changed it up enough to be new, but kept true to the basic idea of the comic book story, as I remember it.