baking update

[y] so i know it's been forever since i've posted anything...call it lazy...call it forgetful...or just accept the fact that i'm not a frequent blogger/facebooker/online networking site user. but i do have an exciting baking update for those who are interested!

i've started making cookie bouquets! it all started when i decided to make one for my friends jade and patrick for their baby shower at work. it took a long time, but i was pretty happy with the results.





then a co-worker asked if she could pay me to make one for her daughter's baby shower. so i made another one and got paid for it! i definitely cannot make a living off of making cookie bouquets though because it's about an 8 hour labor of love (make dough one night and let it chill, cut and bake dough next night and let it cool, decorate the next night and let it dry, put into plastic sleeves and make bouquet the next morning or night) and i only got paid $75. until i can open my own bakery and become more proficient and efficient at making stuff, i shall continue my day job as a consultant!







more the complete set of pictures, go here: http://flickr.com/photos/fortewu/

Sandra and Denver Wedding

SandraDenverWedding-69
Originally uploaded by fortewu

I know, I know, it's already 2009, but I just got to them. I blame school. But here are the shots I got. My fav are the S and D hanging topiaries.

Up next, sister-in-law, Yvette's wedding. I wish my camera came out more than just weddings. . .

hurricane IKE update: part 2

[y] we drove around the area to check on our condo, church, and my office. in the westchase area, street lights are either not working or are flashing. there are tree limbs littering the streets and some broken windows in various office buildings. our church (access) was totally ok and there was still electricity also. my office building seemed fine (no broken windows), although i couldn't go inside. our condo suffered some water damage. we had to tear up the upstairs carpet because it absorbed a lot of water from a leak in the roof or window. but thankfully, the previous tenant had just moved out a few weeks prior and it was empty. we'll need to spend some money fixing it up so we can rent it out or sell it, but that's nothing in the grand scheme of things when you watch the news and see the devastation in galveston and hear that the majority of houston is without electricity.

here are some pictures that we took during our drive around the area today after hurricane ike...

going east on richmond at west sam houston tollway

going east on richmond at briarpark (turn left to get to the Quorum office)

today's post-hurricane dinner...

we've eaten better in the past couple of days than most days...thanks to having my parents live with us for a few days!

hurricane IKE update

[y] it's about 11:30am here in houston on saturday and there is still some wind and rain outside our house from hurricane ike. it looks like it is moving away from us and we're just getting the southern outer bands of the hurricane. thankfully, we never lost electricity. we're also thankful that the worst extent of the damage to our home was that our back fence fell down and there's a leak somewhere in our roof into one of our guest rooms. a water pumping station is also out of commission so we barely have running water anymore. BUT, because of gordo's good planning, we have a bath tub full of water we can use for flushing toilets, etc. each person also had a head light (the ones you use for camping/caving) in case the electricity went out. and gordo cooked a whole batch of his famous soy sauce chicken (to use up the chicken in case the electricity went out). go gordo!

the scariest part of the night was probably around 5am when the wind was howling and shaking our windows. we didn't board up any windows and we don't have those nice double-pane or storm proof windows so we were afraid they would break from the wind. thankfully, no windows broke. although i can't say the same for other houses around us. we don't have any landscaping in our backyard and since our neighborhood is a young neighborhood, there aren't any huge trees near us...so we were spared from tree limbs damaging our house. the water level of the bayou behind our house is rising, but i don't think it will reach the top and threaten to flood our house.

my parents evacuated from clear lake because they were in a mandatory evacuation zone. it was nice having them here all day yesterday and today...in their boredom, they cooked for us, cleaned our house, trimmed the dead part of our plants, and took Trinity on walks. we just hope their home in clear lake didn't sustain too much damage, although they do have huge oak trees and are susceptible to flooding.

we've seen news reports that some downtown buildings have suffered major damage where windows have been blown out and office material are scattered all over downtown. galveston experienced a LOT of damage and apparently the entire island is without electricity. there will be a major cleanup effort in the coming weeks.

anyway, just wanted to let our friends and family know that we're doing fine and staying put at our house until they say it is safe to go out. we're curious to see if our condo and church were damaged so we will assess that when we are able to leave the house.

please continue to pray for the many people without electricity (praise God a cold front is moving in on monday)...for people who sustained a lot of damage to their homes...for the emergency crews and city personnel who are assessing the damage and answering the calls for help.

the view of our backyard from our 2nd floor bedroom with fence blown down
(kinda looks like we have a waterfront view huh...)

a house across the bayou with a hole in their roof, 1 window blown out, and fence down

Cars going swimming. . .

Cars going swimming. . .

Love the Houston downpour!

running errands

running errands in pouring rain for the wifey

trinity says...

more baking

[y] here are some more pictures from my recent baking...

cream cheese sugar cookies

vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting for caleb and mia's birthday party

Random thoughts

I was in a half awake/sleep mode this morning as I awoke to get ready for my 8:30am class. I am not a morning person. . . But, while I was getting ready I had some random thoughts/ideas.

Idea #1: A doggy toilet seat cover
I think if there was this product out there that allowed your dog to climb up to the toilet and do their business (#1.) Then all you had to do would is raise the seat and flush. It would work for #2, but you would have to still pick it up. Or if there was a drop lever, that would be cool too. I bet I would be able to train Trinity to do it. I know of cats have been trained to use the toilet. I think dogs can too.

The only thing that I've found online is this. Great idea in keeping the doggy paws clean, but I still have to clean up after the dog.

Idea #2:
This is for some computer programmer. Make a program out there that will translate your documents. Namely, powerpoint files into another language. Use google translate or something. Of course you would have to get someone to do the final edits, but it would take less time. This is for companies doing global presentations.

Thought #1:
Awhile back I taught a class in Genesis and there was a question asked about what happened to the Edomites. As I am learning about the book of Obadiah, I read this in a commentary.
[ In the late sixth or early fifth century b.c. the Nabateans, from northern Arabia, worshipers of gods and goddesses of fertility and the celestial bodies, drove out most of the Edomites (see comments on Obad. 7). Apparently some remained in Edom and were absorbed by the Nabatean Arabs. The Nabateans were the renowned stone-carvers of Petra. The expelled Edomites settled in Idumea, the Greek name for southern Judea. Later (ca. 120 b.c.) the Edomites there, then called Idumeans, were subdued by John Hyrcanus, a Maccabean, who forced them to be circumcised and to follow Judaism (Josephus The Antiquities of the Jews 13. 9. 1; 14. 7. 9). Herod the Great, king of Judea from 37 b.c. to 4 b.c., was an Idumean (Edomite).

The Idumeans joined the Jews in their rebellion against Rome in a.d. 70, but were almost obliterated by Titus, the Roman general. Only a few Idumean refugees escaped. The Edomites then faded from history.]

John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:1455.

There you go. I really want to go visit Petra now.