really cool thing #998 - Exploding Eggs

So I had batch of hard to peel eggs (I know, what is this the egg blog?). And I found some helpful tips to make the eggs easier to peel. First use old eggs. Apparently the older the egg is the more developed the air pocket within it becomes. This helps make the egg nice and easy to open once it is cooked.

I also found out that warming the egg slightly in the microwave loosens the shell and make it easier to open. So I tried it out. Guess what? 20 seconds (in my microwave at work) works like a charm. The egg is easier to open, however not perfect. So I decided to try 22 seconds. Guess what? Can you say "Ovian Ordinance?" or "Egg Shelling?" or "it's your turn to clean the microwave Nate!"

Really Cool Thing #999 Getting choked up at the end of It's a Wonderful Life

I mean come on, if you don't get a least a little teary-eyed at the end you must be made of stone. I also find it interesting that for a Christmas movie, very little actually happens during Christmas. And other than the feel-good message, it has very little to do with Christmas. But hey it's corny, sappy, and anyone who doesn't like it must be a Commie.
It's one of those movies that everyone can quote a few lines of. You get extra points if you remember the awesome 1986 Saturday Night Live sketch that shows the "fabled Lost Ending" where they find out that Old Man Potter actually had the $8,000 and they all go over and beat the tar out of him.

1,000 Really Cool Things

So I found this really cool website called 1,000 Awesome things. It's a fun little blog where the guy posts something awesome every workday. He is slowly counting down from 1,000 and is currently on #614 (When you tune the radio station perfectly so there's absolutely no static). The items aren't profound, but they are usually funny and probably a good way to start out the day.

Lately I've felt that I haven't had a good direction for this blog. So I'm going to copy his idea. Blatantly. I'm ripping it off. Now I may never get to 1,000 and I definitely won't post every workday. But whenever I come across one of Life's really cool things, I'm going to post it.

So, to start it all off I'm starting with #1,000:

The perfect Egg Peal

I start off most mornings with a yogurt and a hard boiled egg. It's a good nutritious breakfast and my stomach seems to do better with a high protein meal to start off the day. So when my egg shell comes off in large-ish chunks, taking that tough, leathery membrane with it and leaving behind a smooth, alabaster ovoid of embryonic chickeny goodness, my day seems to go just a little bit better. And if the egg has been cooked correctly (raw eggs in cold water, bring it to a boil, cover, remove from heat, let rest for 15 min, run cold tap water into the pot to cool) then the white is tender and the yolk is moist. Add a little salt and you have a very delightful experience.

Contrast that with the times you have to pick the shell off in microscopic fragments. And then the white, which is pitted and cracked from your pealing efforts, is rubbery. I won't even mention the evil thoughts that go through my head when I get to the yolk and it is coppery green and tastes like sulphur. Yuck!

So, to sum it up. Good egg = good breakfast = good start to the day. (after that it's up to you)

If you have any suggestions for my 1,000 really cool things, let me know and maybe I'll ramble on about them too.

Really Cool Aggies!! (what else)

So enough about the cougars. Oh wait, just one more thing,

71 to 62!!!!

Way to go Aggies!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry cougar fans, you've just fallen victim to the Spectrum zone!!

A really cool motivational poster

I saw this on a friend's facebook page and it cracked me up. I thought I would share it given the (relative) number of BYU fans that read this page.

Really cool VG Day

So in honor of all the Veterans who have fought for our country so hard I decided to fight my own battle. We've been in our house now for 2.5 years and have never parked our car in the Garage. I've been working on this little project for, well since we moved in. And now I can officially declare VG Day- Victory in the Garage! (note the clever tie-in to VE day.)
As proof I offer up the following photographic evidence. The Jeep is actually completely within the confines of the garage.


What this says about me or my ancestors, I'm not sure (for more on that click here). Maybe it means I come from a long line of procrastinators and clutter junkies. Maybe it means I'd rather spend time at Corbin's soccer games than cleaning out the garage. Maybe we have too much stuff. Maybe I need a basement. Who knows?
What it definitely means is that now Jo won't have to scrape her windows or brush off the snow before she takes Corbin to school. It also means that I have a lot more driveway to shovel. (I know, it's not that much, but it's more!)

Really Cool Gnomes?

I saw this and just had to post it. The display is by a german artist protesting facist tendencies he sees in the german culture. Apparently the german government actually gave him permission to do this. Which, honestly I find amazing. The Germans are naturally a little sensitive on the whole Nazi thing and so have all sorts of laws against displaying any symbols of the third Reich. Here is a link to the original story.