Asberry.org

Author: aron

  • Updated Tech – Happy Holidays to Me!!!

    The older I get the less I need to keep up with the latest and greatest. This does however lead to a confluence where I sometimes get my tech upgraded all at once. This is happening with my phone and watch within the next week.

    My watch was bought in September 2020 when we went up to Colorado and even then the Galaxy Watch was a generation behind. It’s getting upgraded to a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro so the sensors and everything should be much better than I’m used to.

    My phone is about a year and a half old? I think… It was old also when I bought it (Galaxy S20 5G) but it was through Fi and I was hoping that the dual-band would help with the signal when there wasn’t much to be had (aka David Masons) but that didn’t turn out to be the case. In any case at the time the note was dead and I talked myself into going cheaper with a good camera. Now I get to upgrade to the Galaxy 22 Ultra which gives me my stylus back and a better camera.

    These two hardware updates are setting me back around $700 I believe when it’s all said and done. One of the things I insist on doing is trading in my old hardware instead of letting it sit around collecting dust. I’ll own everything outright and can switch providers whenever the fancy strikes me. Won’t have to upgrade that tech until the truck is paid off.

  • Aldi – Flub – Risotto

    Yesterday we introduced you to the find manicotti, today we’re sad to announce that the same Priano brand that we raved about has some pretty bad risotto. Well to be fair I’m not sure I’m a fan of risotto because I don’t know that I’ve ever had the real thing but this wasn’t worth trying or buying. We tried the garlic (the mushroom is pictured) but considering how bad the garlic was the mushroom didn’t make it to the pot. Save your money and skip the risotto.

  • Aldi – Finds – Manicotti

    Today starts a new type of blog, food > reviews that I’m going to use to review foods found in stores. Like Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc..
    The finds will be ones worth trying (or buying) again, opposed to flubs which are better left on the shelf.

    Priano is the name brand for Aldi Italian fare. Some of it is really good, I’m a big fan of the manicotti, it’s in the freezer section and you get 6 to a pack. The directions are pour spaghetti sauce on the bottom, put these in and sauce on the top. I need meat so meatballs are a great addition or if you have leftover spaghetti sauce (our version) that works great too! Its in the oven for 40-45 minutes but super simple and tasty.

  • Cafe Cali Completed

    So we have our outdoor homeless kitty that doesn’t want to be an indoor cat and I’ve been meaning to make a cat house that she can use for the winter as well as a place for her feeder and heating pad. So last weekend I got a sheet of T111 and made it happen. Without further ado, here’s Cali’s new home.

  • Lazy Saturday

    So about 10 am this morning I decided I was running to Aldi to get milk and a few things so I jumped in the Xterra and did it. I’m always so amazed at myself for being able to do things like that, I just don’t like dealing with people and being close to the mall and this time of year just is filled with people. But I got in and got out before anything major and back to the house in time for lunch.

    We had pizza subs and then I took a nap and then I got more done on the cat house. It’s pretty much done except for some paint and the roof. Need to get hinges and paint tomorrow as well as the cat door. I should have been taking more pictures but the finished product will be cool.

  • Black Friday 2022 Edition

    Well we actually went to the mall complex and shopped, just the outside. Did get my steps and maybe the knee is getting back to normal???

    It was a nice day and got laundry in progress and cleaning done. 

    




    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Happy Thanksgiving!!!
    
			
    

    Tis the season to be thankful and it’s with thanks I write this, thanks for my family and friends, thanks for a pretty kick ass life. I have everything that I need and my wants are few. We have a new truck that will make sure our travels are safer and at a higher level of comfort with half of that being hot having to worry about the vehicle. Shorter more frequent trips are now unlocked with this being the first major holiday with school behind me. That’s a feeling to be thankful for:)
    




    

    




    




    




    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Frigging Diesel
    
			
    

    So I decided to fill up because, well I needed to move the ficus into the garage and I needed to move the truck so off to the Walmart I go, I start filling up and it’s going slow, and it’s cold so I naturally get into the truck while the fuel pumps at a snail’s pace, I’m thinking I needed half a tank which is 15.5 gallons, it hit 16, then 17, wow that’s a lot of fuel, got distracted, hear splashing, the fucking diesel didn’t shut off and I’ve put a couple of gallons on the ground, ugh…
    




    Now what the fuck am I supposed to do? No one is there, no number to call, I know I’m on video… Screw it, I went home. I’m 50 and yes this is my first diesel vehicle but seriously WTF, it doesn’t have a shut-off? Oh well, if that’s the worst that happens I can learn from that.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Blown Out Knee:/
    
			
    

    So my training has hit a bit of a snag in that my left knee is broke…
    I don’t mean that literally as there isn’t a real break but mofo it hurts. Over a week ago I may have pushed it a little hard at the track but it didn’t impact the hiking last weekend at cooper lake state park south sulfur unit. 
    




    I’m not going to be able to do much training with my knee in as much pain as it is but I’ll take a bit of time off and see if it gets better.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Road Trip from Heck
    
			
    

    So yesterday (Veterans day) I had a few things to attend to at noon and then we got the great idea to go camping. The state park site has a great feature called ‘camping this weekend’ that shows you what parks have availability for the weekend, it’s not perfect because sometimes it doesn’t actually Friday/Saturday nights together but close enough. So we were off to Cooper Lake State Park South Sulfur Unit (I know, sounds like a prison). The trip really made me reconsider this whole camping thing. It was raining when we were packing in the gear, the GPS had us going 30 all the way through the mix-master in Dallas and we encountered a wreck in Royce City that had us stuck in traffic for 45 minutes because the inbreeds in the fire/police department there are pretty much complete incompetents. While they can shut a lane down it was a free for all getting to the closure. That backed us up enough that I had to stop and use the facilities, usually no biggie but when I pulled over by the side of the road, I managed to pick the worst possible place and got my shoes caked with mud and had to put the truck in 4wd to get it moving which covered the RV in mud. Worse yet Sandy gets out needing her charger and got her boots all dirty. I was seriously fit to be tied. The rest of the way to the camp my head was filled with ways do my best to take out as many stupid humans I could before someone stopped me, meaning I completely missed enjoying the ride, company or scenery. My mood first broke when we got to the park and the lady rangers attitude was just so nice, as cold as it was she came out with a smile, took my pass and said let me go make sure everything is in order and get you your permit, she bounded back to the building, did the paperwork and came right back still with a smile and the permit. She asked if we’d ever been there, we said no and still smiling jumped back into the building and was right back with the maps and directions to where we had to go. That interaction got me from monster to grumpy human. 
    




    We got to the camp and got backed in without too much of an issue. I sent Sandy in to get inside ready while I did my best to wash off our foot ware and the RV with no brush or hose sprayer (grrr) but we got it done and by that point it was too late to do any hiking (5:30 and already dark) and I was exhausted. Cold, tired and hungry just isn’t a good combo. Literally not a single TV station to be had and slim cell service, but it was enough to find a sort of close restaurant called the Red Barn cafe and off we went. It was classic small town country restaurant with a prominent sign on the door as you came in saying “no credit or debit cards accepted” which made me thankful I grabbed cash before we left. Dinner was catfish for Sandy and I had the chicken fried steak, the baked potato was served dry with a dressing kit that had bunches of butter packets, cheese and packets of sour cream and the salad was simple, lettuce, cheese and some carrot slivers which I ate even though I’m not a salad person. The food was good and the waitress was nice and the place just felt homey. We shot off to Walmart and then back to camp where we started a jig saw puzzle before I crashed out in the bed with our new flannel sheets and slept wonderfully. I even dreamed which doesn’t ever happen. So an old friend of mine Evy was being looked at for a murder and I was being asked questions by a detective and then James Gandolfini shows up and starts being a lawyer for me and we’re laughing and cracking jokes at the detectives expense and then I had to go get my headphones from the fountain where I had been playing before the detective started questioning me and this tall guy took them and I could jump high enough to get them and I said god you’re tall and he laughed and gave them back to be and I think I was trying to find my bike so I could go back and tell Evy and the group that Tony Soprano had helped me avoid answering questions from the detective. I don’t dream often but when I do they’re usually kind of odd.
    




    This morning I woke up and fed Cali and checked on the indoor cats. Saw that Cali had a big breakfast and my kitties were all present and accounted for. Got dialed in at home and the important update stuff was moving right along so I was able to pass along that good news. So everything seems right with the world now and I feel pretty good. Here’s hoping the day keeps turning our way. I’ll have pictures for the next post.