One stop brought us to a nursing home. Two of the crew went in while we stayed in the van. Old faces appeared in the glass doors of the home. First there were one or two interested parties. But soon there were more.

They emerged through the doors. Like a zombie movie the seasoned citizens made their way steadily towards the van shuffling their feet slowly but with purpose. “Lock the doors!” somebody exclaimed. When the old timers reached the van, they grabbed the door handles and tried to get in. Then somebody up front rolled down a window and shouted “Go back inside!” A look of disappointment swept over their faces. They quietly crept back inside to the warmth of the home.

I didn’t realize until years later that our church van looked like the van that the home used to transport the folks to the pharmacy. For some of them it may have been their periodic escape from the comfortable but too familiar surroundings to a new and different environment. Or maybe they just wanted to get more drugs. I’m not proud that we disappointed some seniors that day. But there is a life lesson here: sometimes our assumptions are wrong but we won’t know unless we try.

photo credit: Ethan Prater

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My father has a business named Snakman. He owned a dozen or so machines. My mother took over the business when he passed away. I helped her stock the machines, inventory the business, pull together the records and count the cash that came in. I will never forget what hard work taking care of those machines was. Fortunately we sold the business to a local business owner. With joy I returned to my life as a software engineer.

Allow me to share a story from one place on the vending route. There was a house for mentally challenged folks. I smiled at the director as she asked me to only stock the machines with decaffeinated soda. While I filled the machine a man appeared in the doorway. He wore a captain’s hat and clutched an empty pipe. I wondered what he was thinking as he silently watched me. When I closed the machine back up, he left without a word.

There ya go, captain, enjoy the 7UP!

photo credit: Stéfan

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In honor of Mother’s Day I decided to repost my recipe for perfect deviled eggs, a recipe which my mom loves.

Perfect Deviled Eggs

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup Miracle Whip
• Pinch of sugar
• Splash of apple cider vinegar
• Paprika
• 6 pimento-stuffed green olives

First, put the eggs in a large pot and cover with water. Heat the water to boiling. Remove the eggs from the heat, cover and let sit 15 minutes. Now the trick is to get the eggs to stop cooking. Immerse the eggs in ice water and sit them in the fridge. This will keep the yolks nice and yellow.

Once the eggs have cooled down, remove the shells. Cut them lengthwise and dump the yolks in a mixing bowl. To the yolks add several tablespoons of Miracle Whip, a teaspoon of prepared mustard, a pinch of sugar and splash of apple cider vinegar. Mix well.

Fill the egg halfs with the yolk mixture. I find filling a sandwich bag and snipping a corner helps cut down on the mess. To complete the presentation I sprinkle on a little paprika and place an olive slice in the center of the yolk.

photo credit: kirinqueen

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Once, you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I’ve done this meme before (see previous note) but have been tagged a couple more times since I wrote the note. So here goes. Again I’m not tagging anybody even though I love reading friend’s random things.
2. I’m not what you call a morning person.
3. I wish I could play the guitar like Stevie Ray Vaughn.
4. I wonder what life would be like marooned in space aboard a spaceship with a hologram of my best buddy, a life form evolved from a cat, an android and a hyper-intelligent computer that runs the ship.
5. I took remedial reading in grade school; there I discovered my talent for computers.
6. I once met a guy whose legal name was Tiger Love. He freaked me out.
7. Books that contain over 400 pages intimidate me.
8. My favorite author is Ray Bradbury.
9. I refuse to watch movies in which Bruce Willis stars.
10. I’ve held the Daredevil’s and the Kingpin’s prop canes.
11. I’ve pushed the button at the Milwaukee convention center that reads “Push to play Polka”.
12. I know the secret phrase to enter the Safe House in Milwaukee.
13. Tony Dungy signed my Gen Con Indy badge one year.
14. I have a profile on an online dating website.
15. My father loved “The Screwtape Letters”; it’s on my book list.
16. I have so many unfinished video games that if I completed one a week, I wouldn’t finish until July.
17. I don’t understand the appeal of televised poker.
18. It seems like I spent a majority of my 20s working inside a cubicle.
19. It’s almost 2010. Where’s my rocketpack?
20. I had a high school crush on a couple Facebook friends. Of course if you’re wondering, then yes, it was totally you, darling!
21. I have a propane grill and intend one day to master the art of the BBQ.
22. I like chili esp Cincinnati-style chili.
23. I ask people about the jewelry they wear; there’s always a story there.
24. I’ve been to the Chicago Blues Festival three times; ran into the guys who run the Creepy Crawl in St Louis there one year.
25. My mailbox has 121 Mb worth of messages; just 1% of what Google mail has allocated.

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Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you. Please play along!

1. I don’t usually participate in these things. I’m going to respond but not tag anybody new.
2. I wrote three live action role playing (LARP) games: Kobolds on a Plane, Black Tie Affair and Tabriz School of Magic.
3. My high school mascot was the Orphans.
4. I have a twin brother.
5. I have two computers and two laptops.
6. Growing up we did not have a television in my house.
7. I play the guitar but need more practice.
8. In video games I collect the shiny things.
9. I like the sounds that trains make.
10. I taught myself to play chess when I was eight.
11. I like toast without jelly and butter.
12. I hate needles.
13. I want to visit Europe, maybe parts of Ireland that were once divided as recently as 20 years ago.
14. I want to learn another foreign language, maybe Russian.
15. Televised baseball puts me to sleep.
16. I used to sing in a choir.
17. I work on my social skills.
18. Beets make me sick.
19. I think global warming is a hoax designed to prey on our fears.
20. I like Mary Ann but when I was younger I was seduced by Ginger’s shiny dress.
21. I don’t have any tattoos or piercings. Why mess with perfection?
22. I was in a church play in high school, the beginning and end of my acting career.
23. I have learned to walk around my house without the lights on.
24. In the summer between high school and college I taught nature classes at a Boy Scout camp.
25. I am a Christian who once thought the little fish that folks stick on their cars meant they bought it from a Christian car dealer.

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On Friday Bella Rose and her husband came over for an impromptu BBQ. I told Signgirl I usually like to plan things like that out better. But lately I’ve been trying quite a few things outside my comfort zone. Things were fine. I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

The next day Signgirl took me to a graduation party hosted by a classmate, VA. VA recently moved into a house in Belleville not too far where I used to live on North Charles. She has already done some great work remodeling the place. Out back was a building that was once used as a bakery. It is now being used to house a couple old cars and a refrigerator.

Later that evening we met Nicholas and his fiancee, Delaney, for dinner at Union Station in St Louis. Afterwards we toured the mall stopping to see the floor show at the Fudgery and feeding the mutant koi in the pond under the train shed. There was some discussion about Ren Faires including the recent trend for pirate only faires. Arrr, looks like Signgirl wishes to go to one of these later this summer.

Jason came over on Sunday. I have been helping him write characters for the upcoming Atomic Squash Spycraft LARP game. We hammered out the backgrounds for a dozen or so characters. Jason laid out his plans for the two weeks we have left before we run the game at DieCon. He wants me to figure out how to print out the characters in a format suitable for our players. So I plan to be occupied with game work this week.

Signgirl is making a trip out of town. Her and D came over yesterday and stayed until I dropped them at the airport around 5 AM this morning. When I got back home, I climbed into bed and fell asleep. I woke around 11 AM and sent an email to my boss saying that I was going to be out today. Then I fell back asleep and didn’t get up until around 5 PM. Yeah, I am a bum.

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So friends, I did not win. There was a three judge panel. Here are the comments from one of them: “This isn’t chili. Chili has meat! Not hot enough.” Myaah.

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