Trying New Things

Skyline Chili. I was in Cincinnati, Ohio this week. Well, actually I stayed in Hebron, Kentucky which is just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. My reason for being there involves a rather long story. Regardless, I was there with friend and I had been told that I must try the Skyline Chili. Skyline is a chain of restaurants. Their chili is well known because of the "secret" recipe. I do not know all that was in it, but I do know it has cocoa and cinnamon. Cocoa and cinnamon sound good, but not necessarily together in a bowl of chili and cheese. But, it was surprisingly good - different - but good. It is good to try new things. We all get stuck in routines. Care must be given to not simply use boredom as an excuse to indulge sin. But, there are plenty of things out there that we can try that are different from our norm. Here is an example, I use to love to make mayonnaise sandwiches and dip them in chocolate milk. Don't knock it till you have tried it!

Next time you are near Cincinnati - try the Skyline Chili. Or, if you are really adventurous, try a mayo and chocolate milk lunch. Yum!

Frustration!

This week my dear wife fixed pancakes for breakfast. If you were to come to my home for breakfast, I could pretty much tell you what you would have to eat on any given day. Monday is not a good day - it is usually cereal. Tuesday is pancake or french toast day. Wednesday is Waffle Wednesday. Thursday is Egg Sandwich day. Friday is Home-Made Cinamon Roll Friday. Saturday is Biscuits and Gravy. Sunday is bought cinnamon roll day.

On Tuesday, she had fixed pancakes and I wanted syrup on them. Most people do. I made a significant tactical error, however, by waiting to open the bottle of syrup after my pancake was done. It was a new bottle which meant I had to risk my fingers by cutting off a hard plastic seal that covered the bottle cap. The plastic used is wretched stuff, stiff and sharp when taken off. Next, I had to take off the bottle cap which had been screwed onto the bottle by a 600 pound gorilla. The reason I had to take the cap off was to get at a paper and foil seal that covered the top of the bottle that has a little tab that is almost impossible to raise to get the seal off. So, usually I grab a knife and stab the seal to enable me to remove it. I then had to screw the broken cap back on (the flapper on it had broken when I was wrestling with removing it) so I could finally dispense the syrup on my now cold pancake!

Two or three thoughts went through my head. How do elderly people or people with disabilities get their syrup? Secondly, I am beginning to wonder if the producer of the product does not want me using the product. Or, maybe the grocer is afraid of people stealing the syrup out of the bottles while they are sitting on the shelves. No wonder we are all almost incapacitated with fear. Even eating syrup communicates to us that we are embarking on a very risky odyssey. Hanging over the pleasure of a delicious breakfast is the risk of poisoning!

Gone are the days of buying a bottle of syrup, taking it home and pouring onto a warm, buttery pancake. Better safe than sorry? Remember this, if you plan to have syrup on your pancake - be sure and OPEN THE BOTTLE THE DAY BEFORE.

Variety of Experiences

Last evening, the "Illini Quarterback Club" hosted Gibson City. The IQBC has been in existence for 68 years. When the football team is away then they have a Thursday evening meal and a live hour long call in radio show. When the team is home then the club hosts a Friday luncheon. They invite different towns to come as guests.

It was a fun evening on several fronts. Participating in the live radio broadcast was exciting. Being there last evening was good because the Illini had won last weekend and everyone was living off of the glow of that victory. Seeing Ron Zook up close (we were 10 feet apart) was pretty cool. The setting was awesome. The event was located in the "Colonnades Club" at Memorial Stadium. It would be really, really nice to watch a football game from there. The food was good and the company entertaining and the conversation interesting. The coach takes questions from the audience both during the live broadcast and during breaks. The questions asked during the breaks tend to be a bit more interesting. He also interacts with folks who call in with comments and questions.

I was a bit out of place. The only orange and blue I own are of a more casual nature. However, I did feel better when I saw that there was at least one other who did not wear orange - Ron Zook. We were dressed pretty much alike!

The whole experience was not one I would necessarily pursue. In the end, however, it was very enjoyable. I continue to be surprised and amazed at the different experiences that come into my life. Riding in a combine, flying in a Cessna 172 to Pontiac for coffee, going fishing at Clinton Lake, watching my son play basketball, teaching my daughter to drive, and on and on it goes. It is humbling and I am grateful.

Equipment

I thought it might be nice to post the astro-equipment I use. It is a bit like looking at the pictures in the wallet of a proud grandparent. I don't want to rush it, so I will go one at a time. Today, the oldest of the bunch. It is a Celestron C8 - known as the orange tube classic C8. The "8" refers to the diameter of the telescope tube. It is eight inches around. Celestron began manufacturing this particular telescope in 1970. It became an influential scope because of several factors not the least of which was affordability and ability. It could be purchased for a reasonable price, was fairly portable, was large enough in diameter to allow the user to view a lot, and was of good quality. The style of scope is SCT. That acronym stands for Schmidt-Cassegrain. It has a couple of mirrors in it and a "correcting plate" which acts like a lens on the front. The design makes the telescope fairly compact especially considering the diameter.

I have been looking for one for a long time. Thankfully, a gentleman had one that he wanted to sell. He was advertising on the web and I assumed we would need to make some shipping arrangements - never fun when you are considering shipping fairly fragile equipment across the U.S. It was so exciting to discover he was only two hours from where I live and that he would be more than willing to drive half-way to meet. Rather than purchase the scope and accessories out right, we were able to do some trading. And, he was a wonderful Christian man with whom I had a most blessed couple of hours visiting. It always amazes me where I meet believers.

The scope is the newest to me and it is taking me a while to get use to it. The last time I had it out was Halloween. Usually, I don't like going out that evening. Not because of fear of what I don't see but fear of what I do! It was a beautiful evening, however, and after our "Hallelujah Party" at church I went out for almost 2 hours. The moon was out and, while not full, was plenty bright. I was able to see some beautiful sights - including M-13 in Hercules and the Double-Double star system in Lyra. The Andromeda Galaxy was washed out by the moon light. Jupiter was dancing in the southern sky.

I plan to do a "public showing" at the church soon. Be sure and join us!