Explaining my server upgrade to an auto mechanic I host this blog along with some other sites on my server. I know, I am a relic. Who hosts their own site anymore? Who even has a blog? The purpose of a
gardening First Attempt at Hydroponics I decided I wanted to try to grow some hydroponic vegetables. My family loves leafy greens year round. Lettuce does not grow well in the summer here, or in the winter. Spring is
How to build a self watering system for seedlings Every year I start seeds for my garden in my basement. Every year it is inevitable there is a time when I am out of town and cannot water my plants or otherwise
pottery Backyard Adobe Kiln part II – The Results As previously mentioned, I built a kiln out of adobe bricks that I made in my backyard. See my other post to see how. After that, I wanted to make some test pots.
pottery Making a Backyard Kiln for my Backyard Pottery In my earlier post on Making Primitive Pottery in my Backyard, I used clay I had dug from my yard and fired it in a pit. While all well and good, I wanted
Software Testing and Design in the Men’s Room It seems like testing is the hip thing to do these days. Developers are almost more proud of the tests they write than the code that makes the product work. Clone a repo
testing Stupid things that usually cause defects in software In software, it seems like there are certain things that we implement that result in the same defects every single time. They are difficult to test and catch in action because they may
recipe Pickled Eggs: The perfect use for your Easter eggs If you were to rank all of the things you can do with eggs, crème brûlée would probably be near the top. Following very close behind is the pickled egg. The pickled egg
gardening 2014 Garden Retrospective and 2015 Plan Every year I like to try a few new things. Last year, all the new things I tried were failures. I was also reminded of why I had stopped doing some other things.
Nuance is the Essence of Design Let me qualify that title. Design is so much more than just making things pretty. A well designed object is as simple as it needs to be, but no simpler — as probably said
My Favorite Wassail Recipe This is a recipe that my grandmother made every year when I was growing up. Later, my mom made it, and now we do. It is a fantastic winter treat. This is a
Air Quality on the Wasatch Front The air in Utah along the Wasatch front is notorious for being bad in the winter. Sometimes in the summer, but in the winter it can get really, really bad. How bad you
QA Engineers, Learn About Design I was on vacation in the mountains of Colorado. We were staying at a small cabin near the Conejos river. The simple A-frame, 2 bedroom cabin was built by my wife’s relatives
testing GUI Automated Testing is the Worst — And What to Do About it The temptation is great. A new feature is developed and the tester goes right for the GUI test. After all, it tests the complete stack of code just like the customer is going
recipe Grilled Peaches and Ice Cream AT the end of winter we are rewarded with spring. At the end of summer, we are rewarded with peaches. There is nary a fruit finer than a fresh peach. I do not
random Finishing My Backyard Primitive Pottery After several attempts at making a simple cup, (see my previous post on making primitive pottery) I finally got one that was good enough to fire. Above you see my pieces ready to
photography Chicago Zoomed in I made a recent trip to Chicago to attend An Event Apart. As we wandered about the city as tourists in the evenings, I tried to take pictures as close as my lens
recipe Revisit to my rye-ish bread I had another go at making bread. I have tried baking in a pan and really prefer the free-form loaf. I used the same recipe as found in my previous post on making
recipe My Favorite Handmade Soap Recipe Why I Make My Own Soap It started as a challenge. My wife wanted to buy this $9USD bar of soap in La Jolla California. I thought, “if there is anything different about
recipe How I Make a Grilled Pizza One of my favorite summertime meals is grilled Margherita pizza. Fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic from the garden are ideal. If these items are not available, you can still make it — but it
recipe How to Eat a Kohlrabi Kohlrabi is not your most common garden vegetable. It can be, however, one of the finest. I prefer it raw and fresh. Kohlrabi is high in vitamin C and potassium – as well as
recipe The Only Way to Eat a Green Bean I grew green beans in the garden this year because my wife likes them. The problem with a green bean is that it is, for all intents and purposes, inedible. There are very
Do Your Trees Have Yellow Leaves? Here is How I Fixed Mine I was sold an Autumn Blaze Maple under the pretense that it would be one of the few trees that would grow and do well in a clay, alkaline soil. What they did
recipe Amazing 4th of July Recipes Hot Dog Salad There is nothing more American than July 4th. There is no better way to celebrate the 4th but with hot dogs. This simple recipe will leave your guests in a
random Creating Primitive Pottery in my Backyard When I moved into my house I did not have any grass. A light rain storm moved through the area moistening the surface of the dirt. As I walked across the surface, I
