US

This is my attempt at artwork which I've entitled "US". It started last summer when Nanc cut a twining vine off our pear tree in the backyard. For some unknown reason, a piece of that lay on the ground for a year until this last week. It got picked up and put with the firewood for our chimnea. Just as I picked it up to throw into the fire, it struck me...here might be a piece of art in the making. So, like the immortal words of Len Tuckwilla on the Saturday Night Live skit, I "rubbed it till it was smooth and oiled it till it was dark". I looked thru my firebox again and found a nice chunk of seasoned pear wood that I stripped the bark off of and joined the 2 pieces together...viola' , art! The pictures don't do it justice...it has a deep walnut stained color and a high gloss finish that reveals all the differing traits of the wood. For a closer look at the piece, come by and visit!

Here they are on the grill, with a beverage of my choice close by (did I mention that I'm a diehard Rolling Rock man?)....mmmm, tasty, they were!

ready for the grill, with my signature rib rub, some Sweet Baby Ray's sauce, and some of my homemade pickles on the side
went grocery shopping yesterday, they had choice grade chuck roast for $2.10/lb, so you know what that means...kabobs! I marinated big chunks of roast in my teryaki marinade overnite, then threaded on skewers with baby onion, zucchini, and fresh mushrooms, and sprinkled on some rub....

SUNDAY'S RECIPE

Cheese Boxes

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese
dash paprika
2 TBSP. cream or whole milk
1 unbeaten egg white
loaf French bread

Stir vigorously all ingredients except egg white, stir in at the end. Cut bread into 1-1/2" to 2" cubes. Spread cheese mixture on all sides and place on Pam-sprayed cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until slightly brown.

Since our children have grown up and
left the house, we had to adopt dog
children to take their place...they won't
leave us, won't come home pregnant,
want a raise in their allowance, and
never complain about their meals. We
love 'em to death!, Annie, the sable &
white 7 year old, and Rory, the brindle
10 year old male. They pretty much
rule the roost and our lives...here they
are after an extremely hard day of
napping & resting in the backyard!

We have our attractions and reasons for coming to visit Kansas, as well as North Newton, as evidenced in this photo....

Did I mention that I like to cook??? almost/maybe more than even eating?? Here i am in action with Vern Koch's grill trailer grilling KC strip steaks for the entire Hesston High School football team 3 or 4 years ago in Kevin Wray's back yard. I had a blast...that was a lot of meat and they were BIG eaters!

SUNDAY'S RECIPE

Sweet Hot Pickles

Quart jar with tight fitting lid, Cucumbers, Onion, 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 TBSP salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 1/2 tsp dill weed or fresh dill sprigs, Pickled jalepenos

In saucepan, combine white sugar, vinegar, & spices. Heat till boiling, stirring to dissolve ingredients. Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwhile, place 1 slice of onion in bottom of jar, then slice cucumbers either across OR longwise, and tightly pack in jar. Put 4 to 6 slices jalepenos on top and pour brine over all, filling jar to very top. Seal tightly and put in fridge 2-3 days before eating. Adjust "heat" by adding more or less jalepenos. DO NOT USE fresh jalepenos!

A typical Sunday morning at the Funk house...sitting on our deck chairs, sipping coffee, watching the fire in the chimenea, and small talk. This is my/our stress relief and getaway for the week...with our 2 faithful hounds close by.

HOLY COW! HOLY COW! HOLY COW!

what a week...it took me a whole 3 1/2 days before I got a compliment from management at my new job. (1 more than I ever got in 2 1/4 years at NTA).

The boss pulled me aside today totally out of the blue and told me "he appreciated the way I jumped into/tried to take care of things, whether I knew what to do or not". Yesterday, he said the lunchroom needed mopping, that we were having big wigs coming in an hour. I jumped up and volunteered...said I knew how to mop"the right way". And then today when an older farmer came in for a nurse trailer and everyone that knew how to handle that was busy, I jumped up anyway and, with a little help, was able to sell the guy what he wanted and get him on the road". then the receptionist chimed in that she appreciated the way I quickly answered sales calls. HOLY COW! maybe there is something in this old, tired, worn-out fat man that is still useable/valuable.

"For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good people to do nothing" Edmund Burke

Here I am in action on my 3rd day at my new job at Schaben Industries as Inside Sales(Nancy came in and secretly took some pictures while I was on a sales call).

It is slowly all coming back to me...about at the rate I expected. Most of the books I left there 5 years ago are still in my cubicle...kinda spooky! I'm waiting for my cordless headset for my phone, which will be nice when it comes. Most everything else has
changed...a really nice cubicle, beautiful new office, no more counter sales, hopefully less stress?! It kinda felt really nice the first day back to be already taking sales orders and jumping right in...not much of a learning curve for me. I was told how to turn on the computer and that was about it. 4 days into the job (tomorrow) we have a factory rep from Hypro Pumps coming to give a seminar...and he's bringing brats & beer with him!!! Not too bad for the first week on a new job.

2 Modes of work transportation

pictured are the 2 modes of transportation we use to get to work...Nancy rides her bike 4 blocks to work, I ride my scooter 10 miles to work!

This is also a picture of me right after my first day (for the 2nd time) of work at my new job at Schaben Industries. It went well...I suspect in a week or 3 I'll be right at home and back "up to speed" with my inside sales position, which is what I did there my last tenure.

my toy building projects of the spring/summer. i built the race car off of a "not-to-scale" drawing that i found, and the propane transport was all by scratch from my head. i built the semi-tractor a couple of months ago by looking at pictures and making my own plans, and a buddy of mine(thanks Daryl!) turned the propane tank out on his lathe after i laminated lyptus, walnut and oak together. the coasters were a 1 day project for my wife, 'cause i love her and she loves the laminate different woods. now, for my next project.........

no matter how high the temperature or how little the moisture, this pampas grass is thriving...maybe its trying to live up to my Harley Davidson windmill....

finally, after 17 days of 100 degree+ days this summer, and over a week of temps over 100, this afternoon the clouds are building in the west and it looks like we could get some measurable rain...the 1st in over a month! PTL!

SUNDAY'S RECIPE:

HONAKER STYLE CLAM FRITTERS

1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs 1 TBSP lemon juice 1/3 cup clam juice
1/4 cup milk 1 TBSP melted butter pinch cayenne pepper
2 TBSP fresh chop parsley 3-11oz cans minced clams salt & pepper

Stir together flour, b. soda & b. powder, whisk in eggs, lemon juice, clam juice, milk,
butter & cayenne till batter is smooth. Add parsley, clams & season with salt & pepper
(1/2-1 tsp salt?) and mix well. Heat 1/4" oil in big skillet and spoon 2 TBSP portions clam batter into oil. Fry until golden brown on bottom side then turn and fry approx 2 minutes more. Drain on paper towel and season to taste, eat plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.

well, breezed thru that deal yesterday. got kicked off the jury 'cause I knew 2 of the witnesses for the state...cops that I knew from my stint in the police academy in '00.

so, here i am at 1:30pm, with 4 hours left on this job at Newton Tire...counting the hours till its done. I wished the weather would be nicer tomm. so I could enjoy my 1 day between jobs, but it looks like another 104 degree day. I'll get my scooter ride in early Friday, then start smoking the brisket/making 'tater salad around noon. probably there will be some Rolling Rocks involved during the day. We'll go out to celebrate sat. evening at Abuelo's...our fav restaurant! then its start the new job at Schaben on Monday!

that's just great...my second last day of work at Newton Tire, and I get summoned for jury duty! I'll probably be dismissed right away, but I have to show up (under penalty of fine or imprisonment...ha, ha!). I guess its better than being out in the 104 degree temps today!

ah yes! and yet another hobby of mine...grilling/cooking. after being a professional chef for 2 years at 2 different restaurants, I developed a taste for the fine foods of life...crab, lobster, prime rib, paella, good bread, most anything grilled or smoked...along with a glass of good wine or a cold bottle of beer! That is celebrating life!

...another of my "pride & joy"s, my son Michael. The animal is 10 times the athlete I ever was...just completed a 71 mile bike race in the mountains of Wyoming. I don't know where those genes came from, but he's a bicycling machine!

2 of my favorite hobbies, Rory and Annie...our Welsh Corgis
another of my favorite hobbies...my '01 Harley FLSTCI Heritage Softail
the old and the new...my '01 in the foreground and my '92 HD 1200 Sportster in the background

the various phases of construction...main frame done and ready for front fork assembly...
wheel construction/gluing & clamping...
main frame/engine assembly...

hey, I'm new to this, so be patient!