Monday, May 31, 2010

Ceviche Longboards

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Since moving into our house, Rachel has taken over a portion of the basement where there is a workshop.

She learned how to use all the tools and has started building longboards. She even built a press to form the concave and camber curves in the board while creating the board. I'm so impressed with what she's been doing in her workshop.

Her second longboard looks like a Ceviche. That's the black one on the right.
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She has been building her third board, the longer one in the picture above, over the past few weeks and took the trucks and wheels off the Ceviche-style board so she can fit them onto the new board.

Longboards and skateboards are fully customized when built, starting with a collection of components that you purchase separately. Trucks are the metal hardware that the wheels attach to. The picture below is the belly of her first board with one set of trucks and wheels already off.
Trucks and wheels


So how are longboards different from skateboards? (Here's my mom's-view explanation. You other boarders may disagree and I welcome any clarification.) Skateboards are smaller and nimble for jumps and tricks and looping in and out of skateparks and bowls. You've seen these boards on the X-Games, Tony Hawk video games, and in pictures on boys' t-shirts. Longboards are less about vertical jumps and airborne tricks and more about cruising, gliding, and horizontal maneuvers.
Skateboards to longboards is like:
Jeep Wrangler - Cadillac Escalade
barn storming - hang gliding
chihuahuas - labrador retreivers
...kinda sorta...
Here's a video of some guys using the Ceviche.
Tomorrow I'll show you a couple of guys on the Whirling Dervish longboard.



Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The most dangerous cake recipe in the world

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). 

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!  

Pam's note: You could even pre-mix several cakes worth of dry ingredients in a container and make your cake with 3/4 c of mix. Now you're only 4 minutes away from chocolate cake. Yikes!


Friday, May 14, 2010

Awkward Family Photos

A while ago, my friend Gautam emailed me a link to the funniest thing I have seen in ages. I was cleaning out some stuff on my computer when I came across this again. 

Have you ever had family portraits taken for your church directory?

We have (when I was a kid) and they were terrible.

If you know the shame I'm talking about, don't delay. Head straight over to Awkward Family Photos post haste. You'll feel much better about your own family photos.


Brace yourself.






PS: A link has been posted to the sidebar of our blog, Pam's Inbox.