My first try with an ARDUINO project!

So today I’ve decided to give this a try! As an enthusiast of engineering I have to say I’m so very exited about this project ( due to the fact that it’s my first, probably!).
I’m thinking about an arduino computer controlled sprinkler system so I must say I have my work cut out for me, I don’t expect this to be easy, but then again I’m not known to be a quitter!
For those of you who are weekly readers of my blog, this may come as a surprise as last week for example, I literally didn’t know anything about this “arduino”. So, supposedly you don’t either , you’re entitled to some explanations.
I came across this reading a “ do it yourself blog” in which someone was building an arduino board in an attempt to build a controller for his lights around the house. Started reading then and basically this is how it goes:
Arduino is an open source electronic platform, very easy to use in fact because the software for it is free, simple and can be related to numerous computer programs and soft wares such as flash, maxMSP etc. - more informations on www.electroschematics.com/arduino/

Using arduino language you can control lights, motors, and other stuff. That being said and given the fact that the arduino board uses sensors , I’ve set out to buy one and other accessories I might need , even though arduino projects can be stand alone and manually built ( looking forward to that in the nearest future, don’t judge!).
I’ve gone and purchased an Arduino UNO board compatible with Windows,( u can also use them with MAC and Linux) that comes with a USB cable. Next step , download the software and connect it! Installing the drivers and the download time will vary because of one’s internet connection….
I’ll be getting back to you soon after figuring out the many features of the software first, and keep you posted!

New Beginnings

I'm feeling anxious and stressed again - I think it's because school is out in less than 2 weeks (next week, to be exact) and there are two graduation ceremonies back-to-back. It's just so surreal. Kids graduating from high school and one from middle school. When did this happen?

I've always felt stressed as school is about to end for the year. Because I've always wondered what to do with them over the long summer. And it's really never been a problem, because we've always found things to do, and then by the time school starts again, I'm usually complaining about that! (I'm such a broken record!)

This summer will be a little different. I really do wonder what to do with them, because this summer I won't be around. I have a little announcement: I got a job. A real, get-up-in-the-morning-and-get-dressed-8:30-5pm job. It's so weird.

The whole concept has been in the works for a while. I just realized it was time to switch gears and do something different. I've been in business now for 11 years - 6 of which I've been peddling my wares. It gets old. You get tired. And when the economy tanked, it just felt like I was spinning my wheels. I've been itching to do something else for about a year - since this time last year when I finished my spring shows, took a break, and never really got the mojo going again. I gave it lots of time, still added to my inventory, but started to distance myself from the business. That was perhaps the best thing I did, because a year ago, I wasn't ready to let go. Now, I totally am.

So, job hunting began in January. Let me just say, what you've heard about the job market out there is entirely true. It's mayhem. But one day last month, I answered a listing on Craigslist (I know, right?) for an administrative assistant/office support position for a local furniture manufacturer. I had three interviews with this company, but knew the moment I walked through the door that I wanted the job. This company designs and manufactures modern custom furniture, wall & window treatments for high end interior designers, as well as restoration of modern classic pieces - think, Eames and van der Rohe. They have their own line in the works, and everything is manufactured at their facility. Which means, it's all handcrafted. On the premises, they have a wood shop, a paint booth area, a foam cutting area, rolls and rolls of fabric (oh, joy!) enormous work tables, and a line of industrial sewing machines, just like mine, whirring along. The only thing that is outsourced is the metalwork. I just about died.

So perfect. So in tune with my own philosophies about handmade and not outsourcing overseas. It's similar to what I've done, but different. I'll be learning a whole new industry, but I can still fondle fabric if I need to. I'll get to be involved in the debut of a new line, but I won't have to sew a stitch.

(I gave myself some homework this weekend & went to the library. I've been browsing the fascinating and amazing history of modern furniture design. Wow. Just wow.)

So what does this mean for Sommer Designs? I don't know right now. I feel like I don't really have to think about it right now either. I still have inventory, and I still have at least one street fair scheduled. I know I'll for sure keep the business going, on a part time basis, through the rest of the year. Beyond that is a big question mark. The thing about this business was that it was flexible for me - it worked because I was able to mold it around my lifestyle and schedule. I don't really need that flexibility anymore, and I'm ready to move on. It's so nice to be in a place like that. 

So, that's what's going on! I don't know what will happen in this space, I am not sure how much time I'll have for blogging, but I am going to try to pop in periodically with posts. But, if I don't answer an email immediately (as I usually do), you'll know why.

It's almost like a reinvention: I have to pinch myself - I'm very excited.

Featured Interview

1. What is your favorite sound/word in the kitchen?

My favorite sound in the kitchen is when you heat up a dry pan, add the fat and then immediately the food, whether it’s protein or onions, etc. I love that sizzle sound when the food hits the hot fat. Deep fry sound is a close second. It’s often a more quiet dispersed sizzle, kind of like small crashing waves and it always means something that will probably taste amazing and most importantly be crunchy!

My favorite phrase is definitely “hot behind.” It still makes me giggle and that keeps the atmosphere buoyant. My favorite word is “challah.” I have to say, “hollaaaaah” every time we bust out the challah bread. I know I’m not alone on this.

2. What is the most eclectic ingredient you have ever used? What did you use it for?

Well, it was actually a combination and condition of ingredients for a competition: par-frozen whole Thai snapper, par- frozen young coconut, par- frozen kohlrabi, and par- frozen dragon fruit. We had to prepare a dish with all of those things in a very short period of time.

3. How did you get into the business?

I had colon cancer when I was 17 and it was a huge wake up call to what I was putting in and on my body. After having lived abroad and eaten very well in Italy and Australia, I enrolled in an Alternative Nutrition Program at Cal State LA and became absolutely fascinated with food functionality. That led me to culinary school at the New School of Cooking in Culver City and so now my cooking is less about restrictive foods and more focused on food source and wholesome ingredients. I love what I do and couldn’t imagine being in a different profession.

4. What is in your chef bag? What knives do you use?

I’m so basic. My knives, a cork screw, and a thermometer. My knives are a Shun Santoku, a Wustof slicer, a serated knife, and a cheap Victorinox Carbon- Stainless 9”. I never seem to need much more than that.

5. What is your favorite kitchen tool?

My favorite kitchen tool seems to be a rubber spatula these days. I find myself turning around and always needing it again and again. It’s the best for egg cookery (omeletts, scrambles, souffles, removing frittata from the pan, etc.) It’s crucial for getting everything nice and tidy out of the food processor and other things so not a morsel is wasted! ”

6. If you only had 5 ingredients left in your pantry, what would they be?

Polenta, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and white pepper.

7. What was the vision behind Taste of Pace?

The Taste of Pace brand started as a blog that allowed me to create a vision. I only wrote about things that inspired me and from here I developed a food, travel lifestyle brand including a catering company. Taste of Pace Catering is a full service catering company based in Los Angeles specializing in Western European Cuisine with international elements utilizing seasonal and local ingredients. It is my hope that the brand will expand into food/ travel media platforms and products.

8. What has been the most significant lesson you’ve learned by running and operating your own business?1. There is no problem that cannot be solved. 2. Everything is possible. 3. Persistence pays off.

9. So what are your plans in 2013?

Plans for 2013 are to triple my catering business. We should be on track if things continue the way they have been so far this year! I also anticipate more tv exposure and a new loft space for my events.

Car Insurance Price

This car insurence price piece of writing will presume a beginners point of view at this appealing topic. It will offer you the knowledge which you need to be acquainted with most. In an effort to make sure every American has and also can have enough money for internet car insurance, governing bodies in 1 US state have established a new vehicle coverages on line program targeted at residents who are in the low-income group. This program will help take care of the number of drivers without any form of insurance who`re out there on the road, and at the same time lowering the financial encumbrance that a large number of cars assurance companies and drivers who`ve bought insurance assume due to the fairly large number of uninsured vehicles using the streets. By law, the state`s inhabitants have to be insured for a minimal amount of 15.000 dollars per individual for losses that result when the policyholder-driver inflicts bodily injuries on others (called bodily injury liability coverage), $30.000 for each incident and $5.000 for damage to another`s property. Reasonable insurance minimal standards, but ones that typically include larger automobile assurance fees resulting in a very tight budget for a lot of citizens who can`t afford to spend on car coverage online.

By rolling out this program, the state authorities are striving to ensure that internet cars insurance is affordable and obtainable for all motorists, regardless of their economic status. Currently, the innovative low cost online motor vehicle ins plan gives potential policyowners a lower-priced version of the ongoing scheme, making it legal for qualified drivers to carry 10 thousand dollars per person to take care of liability coverage arising from bodily injury, $20.000 for each mishap, and 3 thousand dollars for property damage. In order to meet the eligibility criteria for this reduced price automobile online insure plan, the resident has to be a good driver, be a resident of one of the approved counties, their household`s gross annual income must not exceed 250% of the federal poverty level or FPL, and the value of their vehicle must not be more than $20.000. To check out a comprehensive catalog of the federal poverty income levels, and to view the eligible income levels, you should investigate on the internet. In order to meet the qualification criteria for `drivers of good standing`, car owner have to meet these standards:

Has to be 19 years of age or older and also must have been operating a vehicle for at least 3 year. The drivers must have no record of vehicle code offenses accusations documented in their driving history. Must not have any history of a fault accident involving bodily injury or involving death in the last 3 years. Must not have more than 1 property damage only insurance claim or no more than 1 point for a moving violation (as against a parking violation) during the last 3 years. Must not be a college graduate claimed as a dependent for the purposes of federal or state tax. Cannot have an ongoing liability insurance policy for any other vehicle. Must show they`ve been uninterruptedly authorized to drive for 18 months in the United States or Canada, when previously issued a license in another country. The cost of the rental cars (www.bucurestirentacar.com) and car insurance policy (www.statefarm.com) plan differs from driver to driver, based on their place of residence, as well as on if drivers choose to include medical payments coverage (that covers the medical bills incurred by policyholders and their passengers after an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault) medical payments coverage (that pays for necessary medical and hospital expenses) to their auto assurance on-line agreement. Besides the non-variable charges, there`s an additional 25% additional fee levied on bachelors falling within the 19 to 24 years age group, due to the fact that this age group statistically is responsible for the more accidents than any other group.

I Survived The Deathly Hallows

Last night, I put on my "mother of a teenager" shoes (Cute little sequined flip flops, btw) and took my daughter to a midnight showing of the final 'arry Pottuh movie.

See how I did that? Wasn't that cute?

No?

It wasn't?

Leave me alone, I've had 4 hours of sleep and damn it, that was fucking adorable.

Anyway, yes. I sat for two hours in a crowded theater, put on clever Potter-esque 3-D glasses and then watched what is being billed as the last movie that will ever. be. made. EVER, people. Not really, but jeez, the build-up on this is killing me.

And lo, it was good. It was actually great. I think. That may be the sleep deprivation talking. Alan Rickman has deserved far more acclaim than he's gotten for being the absolute embodiment of Snape. I WEPT, unashamedly, at his two major scenes in this movie. He made the movie for me.

Okay, movie was great, had actors and props and everything, yay. Now I'm going to actually get to my point. This was my first midnight showing. I'm not a night-owl, by any means. I'm also not a "need to see it, first rattle outta the hat" sort of girl. I like to wait until the crowds have died down, see it a relatively empty theater, or better yet, rent it. But this is the last of these movies, and Drama Queen is of the Potter Generation. These kids grew up on these books, with Harry, Hermione and Ron and attended midnight release parties for the books. (WTF with all the midnight shit, media moguls? What is your problem with 7 pm? I would pay more for a 7 pm release, hand to heaven.) They identify with him, both on the page and the movie screen. It was midnight release or nothing! THE LAST HARRY POTTER, MOTHER! THE LAST! LAST!

She wasn't dubbed Drama Queen for her acting skills alone, yo.

And that is how I wound up at a jam-packed, cinematic E-VENT!!! What a freak show. I say that with affection, love and more than a little eye-rolling. I get the newly-graduated, sorority sisters, engaging in a little PG-13 fun. And I really enjoyed the flocks of Hogwart robes. But I'm going to draw the line at slutty Slytherin/Griffindor school-girl uniforms. That was a little much, ladies. Though I will give props to the poison green bra lace, peeking out from the artfully tied shirt and the perfectly matching striped stockings. Apparently Hot Topic sells a kit. Charming.

Heh, get it? Charming? Cripes, you guys have no sense of humor when I've only had 4 hours of sleep.

There are a lot of negatives to the midnight showing. Standing in line for hours, then sitting in a seat for hours more? Yuck. Sitting cheek to jowl with strangers in strange garb? Um, no. Not getting home until 3:30 am? That's a big ole hell no.

BUT. But. There is an incredible sense of camraderie and excitement at these showings. I had conversations with several fun and interesting people about the books, the movies, theater and life in general. People are amped and joined in a common adventure. There is (forgive the turn of phrase) magic in the air. The applause at critical moments, the cheers and jeers, they are fun. It is lovely to share this last moment of a particular cultural phenomenon with a large group of friends, family and aliens. Am I sorry I went. No. Not at all.

But I ain't doing that shit ever again. Mama likes her sleep.

Graveside

This post may be a bit...rambly. I'm currently halfway through my second glass of an excellent chardonnay.

It's Father's Day and as expected, I am missing my father. Crazy? No. Pain in the ass? Yes. My husband is a fantastic father and he deserves a fantastic day. That's hard to deliver when you're crying every hour. So in an effort to get it all out of the way, I went to the cemetery today.

Damn, that was a mistake.

I brought flowers and a bottle of water, since there is a vase affixed to my dads headstone. Actually, there was a vase. Now there is a large, muddy hole and several wasps. He'd appreciate that, I'm sure. What he would not appreciate is how I jammed the sunflowers in the hole, pissed that someone would dig out a fucking vase from a headstone. Seriously, call me. I will buy you a damned vase. (And break it over your grave-robbing head, you fucker.) But stuff them down a wasp nest I did, because had I brought those flowers home, I would have burst into tears, every single time I looked at them. Sort of what we were trying to avoid. Luckily, I did not get stung. (bitten? Wasps bite, right?)

All (hopefully humorous) ranting aside, I went because I needed to feel a connection to him. It's been a long time. I wanted to feel his presence again. But you know what? He's not there. I felt nothing. It was just mud and grass, marble and wasps. I'm sure there is a deep analogy somewhere in there, but I'm tipsy and you shouldn't attempt analogies while drinking. They never make sense. Sadly, I know this from experience.

Point is, he's gone. I know a lot of people take comfort from visiting the grave of a loved one. I am not one of those people. He's not there. He's in a better place and I know that, but I still miss him. I'm allowed to rejoice in his freedom and still miss him. To be glad he's with God and sad that he's not with us. And I am all of the above.

I'm not going back. I hope that doesn't make me a bad daughter. I prefer to find him in my son's smile, my daughter's eyes and my memories. Also, I really need get a handle on this.

The Answer is C: None of the Above

My friend, Tiffany, recently left this post on Facebook. Needless to say, I identified.

“I told a lie last night. A lady asked where my parents lived, I said California. What else could I do? If I tell her my Mom is in California, then it implies my parents are divorced. If I tell her my Dad is in heaven, then I just would have made her feel bad for asking. There's no damn good answer.”

No damn good answer, indeed. It’s a weird milestone, the first time you are forced to acknowledge the death of your parent to a stranger. How to do it? Do you just respond with a vague generality? That’s probably the easiest thing to do, until you start thinking about it, and then agonize under the crushing guilt of negating your father’s death with a polite lie of omission. Been there, done that, donated the T-shirt to Goodwill.

Or you can gently explain that your mother has been recently widowed and your entire family is still reeling with the grief of losing their patriarch, but thank you so much for you kindly meant and terribly hurtful question. Not awkward at all.

You could start crying. That’s always fun. I’ve been on the other end of that, and I can tell you that not only does the asker feel horrible, but also? They suspect you are a wee bit… well, unhinged. Not the image I like to project, since I’m already widely known as a ditz.

You could take the bitch route and stare them down. “My father died recently. Thanks for ripping the band-aid off that emotional scab. Want to kick my puppy a few times?” I don’t personally recommend this, but it almost certainly will circumvent any further questions. Or conversation, for that matter.

There are a lot of ways to handle it. I’ve developed a standard answer:
“My mom is widowed, but my parents lived in California for 55 years. They were actually high school sweethearts, isn’t that awesome?”
Told with a smile and an upbeat tone of voice, it relieves any guilt that might be hatched and relates a very sweet facet of my parent’s relationship. Of course, I get the requisite condolences. I’ve learned that they are unavoidable and honestly, I appreciate them. Sometimes, people ask about my dad and I have an opportunity to talk about ALS a little. Other times, they change the subject and we move on. Either is fine with me.

Of course, I’ve had a year and a half to get to this place. Tiffany is in a different place in her journey. I’ve had a lot of really excellent advice from people who were once where I am. That has been a tremendous blessing. Beth and Jessica propped me up, sometimes without even knowing it. If I can do that for someone, then I will be satisfied. We all need a hand. We all need a shoulder. And we all need a friend, especially on a path as dark and winding as grief.