Been another in a long line of not doing much days. Been doing a bit with the computer most of the day. Later this afternoon managed to get about 50 potato plants put out and some hay spread over both raised planting beds as well as the compost pile. Started a pork roast cooking early evening then remembered the sale going on at Food Land so cut the oven off and went out there to stock up on canned goods and bacon as the sale goes off at midnight or whenever they close tonight. Haven’t ever looked so don’t know what their hours are. Got back and started the oven back up and put rice and green beans on to cook. When it was done we ate and then I started trying to get Cat’s laptop updated. Just got started and it went into one of it’s I’m overheating fits and demanded to be shut down. Just now getting cool enough to start up again and the storms are coming so will be tomorrow before I can try again. For now am shutting it all down and going into the qhut to wait out this front. Till tomorrow… 😉
Tags: Blog 365, Daily Grind
Technoprimitive 3 
May 2, 2009 at 8:52 am |
If you made a trip of less than 30 miles and had to turn off the oven your pork roast was in, your doing it wrong. Gee, I miss being able to do grins and such. But really, I cook pork roasts rather frequently (probably too frequently, but that is another tale) and the average time in the oven is 10-12 hours. Though they are done enough to eat sooner, I cook at a low temperature (usually 225) and the only problem is if you want to slice the meat, because that isn’t going to happen. It’s too tender to slice. Sometimes I up the temperature for the last hour or so to crisp it a little on the outside, and also to cook some taters along with it, but that’s optional. Of course, cooking it faster does give it the crisp outside that I love too, so to each his own. To each his loin? Depends on the cut, I guess….
Had a somewhat different day. Did some stuff at work, went by your place and had the toaster declared dead, got the fan clutch on the way back to work and ate lunch. Back at work I worked at installing Ubuntu Server LTS 8.04 on a machine. Yes, I know it’s not the newest version, but Falko hasn’t gotten around to doing instructions on the newest version for what I want to do, so it’s New Enough. Here’s where the fun began. ISO I had on file was corrupted, I guess, because the CD I made cratered on takeoff. Started to install (had the drive formatted and everything) but couldn’t find major files. So, I downloaded it again. But I didn’t notice that I was downloading the 64-bit version (which is the default, the radio buttons for changing same I didn’t see because they were at the bottom of the page) and not having a 64-bit processor IT wouldn’t install either. Spent 10 minutes or so trying to find the right frigging ISO before I finally scrolled down the page and notice the “64-bit–32-bit” radio buttons. Expanded my work vocabulary a little bit as I hit the correct button and started downloading the ISO. Again. Oh, yeah, forgot to mention the coaster I made because one download only did about a meg and a half and quit, but said it was finished, and foolish me didn’t check the size of the ISO before burning. Did I mention I wasn’t having that good a day, mentally? I guess at this point I hardly need to, the alert student has already figured that out…anyway, FINALLY got the correct ISO downloaded and burned, and got the install going. Installed with no problem (Athlon XP ~1800 w/256 MB of RAM–quite enough for a file server, no?) and started wading through Master Falko’s command line instructions. Have I ever mentioned to you that while I’m not REALLY dyslexic, I have always been, well, CONFUSED about the abbreviation for et cetera. Instead of etc, I always want to type ect. Now this has only been a cause of minor amusement and ribbing from those who read it, until I set forth into the Wonderful World of the Linux Command Line. As I’m sure the alert reader has already figured out, I (in all naiveity and ignorance, not to mention a basic lack of spelling skills) proceeded to create a new directory named /ect a put all kinds of things in it, before realizing that the computer could not have cared less about what I was doing, which is probably a Good Thing. Learned to notice the difference between opening a config file in vim-nox (it just opened and I saw it there) as opposed to CREATING one in vim-nox (essentially a blank page and a notice about a new directory being created) and am getting better at typing /etc as opposed to /ect or even just etc. I feel sure there are some interesting directories on the hard drive now, hopefully they won’t cause any trouble before I figure out how to delete them. Will need a witness there to be sure I delete /ect and etc rather than /etc, as I have a slight suspicion that deleting /etc will cause a problem or three. Left the machine updating and went home a couple of hours later than I would have if things had gone right, but when does THAT happen. Hopefully I have learned from my mistakes…
Got home and helped the wife with the Wal Mart list (including new toaster) and then did not much until she returned. Helped put the groceries and such up, and tried out the new toaster with hot dogs on toast sandwiches. Toaster works well, and I guessed right about where to set the browness to begin with. The son went to Huntsville to stay with a friend and attend a contest at Hooters (he called from there to let us know he had made it and it sounded like SOMEONE was having a good time, I couldn’t hear him for all the Good Times in the background, but it’s good he called to let us know) and the daughter went to spend the night with some friends, so it was a rare night together with the wife. And she didn’t work that day or the next, which seems even more rare when we get those kind of nights.
Got to sleep until 7:30 this morning, when the wife’s best friend called to let her know that she was going to Collinsville rather than to the Master Gardener’s Plant Sale with the wife. Family obligation. So the wife is gone to get lab tests done and then coming back for breakfast/coffee before heading to Gadsden and upgrades to the garden. I suggested that she buy enough to do her for Mother’s day next week (as she will have a better idea of what she wants than anyone else, hopefully) and I’ll augment that next weekend with a few things. Ideas was quickly accepted.
Now I’m about to finish my coffee and get dressed and see how it goes with the fan clutch. Hopefully will not be a pain, and then I can move on. Might even see about getting LTS on a machine here. Really need to get the wireless bridge going with security, though. May do that first–I miss having a computer with Internet/network access in the bedroom.
Have a good day, and good luck with the computers!
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May 2, 2009 at 10:16 am |
Only took about 2 and a half hours of actual heat. Cook it at 350 in a dutch oven. I always sear the outside first in the dutch oven on top of the stove. Put a bit of oil in the bottom of the pan and get it almost smoking hot then put the roast in and let it brown, turn and repeat on all sides, usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and helps seal the juices inside. And yes they fall apart. I just didn’t trust the weather last night with all the lightening just north of us so cut the power off while we were gone. After we got back and got the rice and beans cooked, I got out the portions we were gonna eat and put it back in the still hot oven and let it all cool off together. By the time I took it out, around 10 pm, it had been in a total of 4 hours but only about 2 and a half of that with heat on and was tender to the core.
If I’m gonna cook one at 225 or so I use the crockpot. Should do that more often, just end up forgetting to start stuff in the am and have to hurry it up in the evening to get it done…
Smillies should work on here. 😉 is ; – ) and 🙂 is : – ) Will see if I can find a list of the ones available and post it.
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May 2, 2009 at 1:53 pm |
Sounds good! I usually cook it so long because I’m lazy, and it is real easy to get it right. Dutch oven and low temp work for me, I’ll have to remember and try the searing–sounds like a good idea. If the blessed smoke alarm in our house doesn’t mind–it is VERY sensitive to everything but the son’s incense, which can approach fogbank levels without a peep. Must be a ’60s design….
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