sooo

You can find me:

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or miceland AT gmail DOttt com

i will not be here.

i’m fine, don’t worry.

But instead of discussing all of that I would like to mention that there is a stand along the Boardwalk that sells a right and proper dole whip. That’s right. I said it. I don’t have to wait to be in Disneyland to get a Dole whip. As far as i can tell. It is identical in taste and texture. So awesome. I do have a real weakness for the whips, and Santa Cruz is not that far from me. Just as long as the traffic on 17 is not bad (which it almost always is except fro very late at night and even then someone is invariably riding on my bumper because i’m not going 80 miles per hour down twists and turns that usually have my knuckles white.)

in other beach boardwalk news, the haunted castle has been much improved. there are various rooms or areas with different divertemente creepy themes. please don’t misconstrue my praise. it still is truly horrid. i still cant stand it. but i do love it and it is easily my favorite attraction at the boardwalk.

i don’t like ferris wheels now it seems. same for the sky tram. my kids love them. me? no. nope. no thank you.

i do like sitting on the beach and reading. that is just fine. i like it even if its overcast. no problem. love seeing my sisters, nieces and nephews, parents. very nice.

i like making lattes, drinks, and other bartending-like duties. this is what a husband should do for his wife or significant other.

hope you all are having a similarly enjoyable summer.

I’ve had the drink frequently at FI and have taken to making it at home. On a hot day like today its refreshing and delicious. Its also a great use for very ripe bananas if you don’t want to make banana bread.

Start with a handful of ice in the old blender. I only use filtered water in my ice cubes but i am obsessive.

Next one (or two) bananas in there.

2 oz of white rum. i didn’t have any white rum handy so i used a Cruzan Aged which is not a bad substitute. My only rule is no Bacardi in this house. Sorry.

next half an ounce of banana liqueur. I use 99 Bananas. It does the trick.

now one ounce of coco lopez. i cheat and use coco real. It is more convient for me but once i get down to the bottom of the bottle i have to cut open the bottle to get at the remaining bit which is less convenient. so pick your method of hassle.

blend. my blender has a frozen drinks button which is wayy too easy. blend till it is smooth.

pour and serve. i apologize my presentation leaves much to be desired. but the drink doesn’t require a lot of presentation to be good. it just IS.

Thank you Martin Cate. You rule.

Casey Mears driving now.

Well after much packing and unpacking i finally had my bags together.  Had my passport, visa, shots. I had liquids and gels in TSA compliant amounts.  Took off for the airport well in advance of my take-off time. Very nice of my wife to not only drive me to the airport but to walk me to the security line as well. Leaving is bad but if there is a good side its that it makes me appreciate Mrs. Mice.

The flight to Frankfurt was long but on the upside we had those on demand in seat entertainment systems. I watched all of Aliens v Cowboys which was tolerable and most of Anonymous which was pretty cool. I slept some but I really was not keeping track of what time it was or what time it was in Frankfurt or what. I didn’t even have time to go to the restroom before I had to board my flight to Bengaluru. Though fewer hours in the air the second leg of the flight seemed much longer. Was it because there was no on -demand movies? Was it because I had less space to stretch my legs? I tried and succeeded in sleeping at least part of the time. We landed in Bangalore at 2am local time. Wow was still kinda warm and very muggy. Was very much like Florida weather. Our driver met us at the airport with a printed sign with our names. One hour drive and we were at our hotel.

It was clear when we arrived that this was a nice hotel. First thing when arriving an employee greets me with a warm Namaste. Ha ha so awesome. I feel very welcome. I must be in the right place.

fried up some sweet italiain sausage (minus the casings), peperoni, salami, zucch, olives, mushrooms, some Italian seasonings in a pan. i did not use any butter nor oil.

i sliced the cheese. this failed, i recommend grating your cheese.

i rolled up the filling in the dough. the speckled one was a failed attempt because i rolled the dough too thin. its not a crepe. let the dough rise again and glazed with egg water. i baked at 425 for like 30 minutes or maybe less.

slice

and serve.

yum.

One of the most insane and most crazy things i have ever done or am likely to do ever.

My good friend Cindy turned 40 and invited me along. Actually she invited mrs. mice who would not have any part of this. It was pretty nerve wracking esp going up in the plane. I was meditating to try and keep cool. I doubt the Buddha ever did freefall from 14,000. Though I’m sure if he had he would have enjoyed it. Very grateful and humbled that I could do this. Going to have to think about it for a while to see if i would ever do it again. It was scary but also super fun. All pictures and video were taken by and property of Skydive Surfcity

Was a great way to celebrate turning 40. Happy B-day Cindy!

crack into a bowl

whisk quickly

1 3/4 cup of milk

this is a substitution for buttermilk but i like the taste of the 2% milk better

whisk again

1/4 cup of oil

i use wesson corn

whisk quickly

2 tablespons of sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup flour

whisk

not needed but i like a little butter in the pan, pan should be middle to lower middle heat. this takes a little longer but will make it harder for the pancakes to burn.

mickey mouse pancake pours

when the bubbles pop and don’t heal its time to flip it. needs less time on the 2nd side than the first.

serve with maple syrup, jam, honey, whatever you like.

serve one as soon as each is done.