Summer Clean-up / Steak Fajita Tacos

 

Song:  Take Me Home

Artist:  Phil Collins

For Today's Project...

I gathered together 13 large garbage bags of things from my moving boxes

I know I won't need here (I hate clutter)...

as well as some packaging from some deliveries I unpacked today...

and an old printer which stopped synching with my computer

(I cannot stand things upon which I cannot depend)...

and a couple of other items that were just cluttering up my room.

I threw away the trash bags into our community garbage collection point

at the community center...

and I threw away the printer at the Cripple Creek trash transfer station.

As I had done a bit more today than I had planned...

I treated myself to some tacos at The District.

I, again...

just sat at the bar as the tables were full.

This time I tried the steak fajita tacos.

They are tied for first with the BBQ brisket tacos.

These were so good.

Their Southwestern sauce and the grilled peppers really add so much flavor to these tacos.

On the way home...

I stopped in at the Cripple Creek market.

I saw these tacos which you make at home.

I am looking forward to eating them in a couple of days.

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I have many...many projects lined up to do...

but as with everything in my life...

I just take it a little at a time...

all on Toller time.

An Italian Restaurant For A Lifetime

 

Song:  A Pillow Of Winds

Group:  Pink Floyd

As I had completed my window project a few hours earlier...

I decided to treat myself to a restaurant.

I played this song over and over...

as this beautiful day just made me so mellow

as I drove to Manitou Springs to satisfy a craving I had for Italian food.

I decided to try a new place...

and I was very glad I had.

Just after exiting my mountain ridge...

this small fox was just standing on the roadside...

cute.

I drove with all of the windows down...

 as I normally do...

but...

for some reason...

the summer breeze just felt extra serene today.

I just played the above song over and over as I let it take me away.

What a beautiful day.

What a beautiful drive.

This particular Italian restaurant is just 10 minutes up the highway

from my other favorite Italian restaurant...

except this one is more rustic and inexpensive.

The other Italian restaurant has my favorite Italian dish

(Shrimp and Scallop Fettuccini)...

while this one doesn't.

I will be going to this restaurant for Chicken Parmesan...

Pizza...

and I've got to try their hot Italian sandwiches in the future.

I love this place.

They have one of my favorite appetizers...

battered mushrooms with Ranch dip.

This meal of Chicken Parmesan had two large chicken breasts...

spaghetti...

and two bread sticks.

It was so good...

and it was served in a man sized portion.

I also just had to try a slice of their cheese pizza...

which was absolutely fantastic

(I will be trying some of their many toppings in the future).

This pizza had everything going for it...perfect:

crust...

sauce...

and cheese.

Everything was in perfect proportion...

and the spices used made this one of the best pizzas I have ever had.

From now on...

whenever I want a perfect pizza...

I will be going there.

I now have two excellent Italian restaurants to return to...

for the rest of my life.

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I took the above picture from my computer station in my bedroom.

The sun was just setting as I began typing up this article.

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A little while ago...

a quick thunder shower rolled in...

with hail.

And although it had only lasted half an hour or so...

it was still so nice...

as the air suddenly dropped in temperature...

and the wind picked up.

I just lay on my bed and enjoyed the pitter patter of the hail and raindrops.

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Today was such a mellow day...

and everything just seemed to be in the flow.

Tomorrow...

I will start another project...

but nothing too heavy...

or extensive.

I will just keep things light for a while...

as my back is still not fully healed.

Project Blackout Completed

 

Song: The Eye Of The Dragonfly

Artist:  Friedemann Witecka

I had started assembling the other three window blinds this midmorning...

and had finished everything by late morning.

I had emplaced the blinds...

and did a final test for complete darkness.

The only light in the room after closing the blinds...

was my power strip underneath the computer desk.

Once I stood back to take a full room picture...

it was pitch black.

I then set about modifying my portable air conditioner window mounting bracket...

as I had been using it on a much larger window.

I used these snips to cut into part of the heavy duty plastic...

and I then snapped the unused part off.

I then used Gorilla Tape to create light blocking wings on each side of the bracket...

as the plastic bracket needed to be small enough to fit inside the blind frame...

and then be able to spread out to fit the window frame beyond...

and so...

as these tape wings were flexible...

it fit perfectly.

Just give a man some basic tools...

and especially...

some thick duct tape...

and he will be able to fix or modify about anything around the house :)

Although I won't need this air conditioning unit for much of the year...

as the air conditioning window bracket is easily removed...

I can just then roll my portable air conditioning unit to the inside of my closet

when not in use.

Again...

it is only because I am nocturnal that I would even need an air conditioning unit...

as I will close all the windows and the blackout blinds during my sleeping hours 

throughout most of the day...

and 65 F (18.3 C) is the temperature I feel most comfortable during sleep

(but usually anywhere between 60 F and 65 F - I am quite comfortable).

As you can see...

there is still plenty of room at my computer station with the chair in place.

As I have been trying to sleep at night...

most of the time I still end up staying up until almost morning...

and then with the old blinds still allowing a glow of daylight into the room...

I have not been sleeping well...

and so...

for much of the day...

I have been tired.

But now...

I will be able to sleep in great comfort until I naturally awaken

(my natural sleep cycle is from sometime after sunrise...

until not too long before sunset).

I still have a ton of projects to complete...

but...

I will just take them one at a time...

and a little each day.

I had gotten behind on my projects due to illness and injury...

but now...

I am back in the flow...

just where I like to be.

First Window Blackout Blind In

 

Song:  Crazy

Artist:  Seal

As I have done all I could to rectify the missing passport situation for now...

I decided to get started on installing the blackout blinds in my bedroom.

As there are four windows in my bedroom...

there are four separate packages.

I put them on the kitchen bar to just open the packages 

and then lay out the parts on the great room floor.

The white side of the blinds face outwards...

...while the black side faces inwards.

I had first tested the smoothness of the draw...

and to ensure the latching mechanism worked flawlessly.

I then laid out the initial light stripping

(the second compression/light stripping would come afterwards).

As I was getting hungry...

I took a small meal break.

I had leftover rice...

so I just warmed it up along with some unagi.

I then quickly ate before resuming my work on the first blind.

I had to install the first light seal next to the outer edge of the frame

to allow room for the second light / compression seal next to the inner edge of the frame.

There is a light proof fabric standing between the two rows of bristles

of the first light seal.

The first seal was completed in this photo.

The second seal had to first be separated before I could use it.

You can see the installed second light / compression seal on the right.

The rubber compression seal is on the inside facing frame...

so as to be protected from the sun's UV light...

and so...

the reason for the first light seal.

I had finally covered all sides of the frame...

and made the joining cut.

This is my bedroom side window with the blackout blind installed...

but in its fully retracted position.

It compacts to such a narrow bunch at the top...

that it doesn't block any of the view.

It will stay in any position along the length of its draw.

(The window is smudged because Bandi loves putting her nose on the glass).

This is the blackout blind in its fully extended position.

It latches into place...

but is easily retracted using the bottom handle.

It blocks out all light...

and is compression fit so it stays snugly in place 

without having to use any hardware attaching it to the window frame.

The company name is Guard...

and they offer the perfect solution to having a blacked out room for day sleepers.

I am so happy with these blinds.

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I am going to finish the other three windows in the morning...

as I am now comfortably tired.

Once all of the blinds are installed...

I will be able to sleep at any time of the day.

I will have to make some modifications to fit in an air conditioner

to one of the small windows...

as...

although the outside temperature rarely gets up into the high 70s F...

and usually much lower...

just my body heat alone will raise my room temperature

into the high 60s F as I will have all the windows closed

when I draw down the blinds.

If the temperature gets above 65 F...

I cannot sleep comfortably.

But...

more on that tomorrow.