Edward Caissie » Family and Friends

Romee

Edward Caissie — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:58:40 +0000

Introducing our Romee, a male Shih-Poo.

He’s been with us for nearly a year and a half now … and although there really has not been any reason to not write about him before I simply could not resist posting a couple of pictures taken yesterday afternoon by my wife, Terri.

Getting It Done

Edward Caissie — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:44:58 +0000

You got to have the want to before you can have the can do.
Karen Lynk

K.I.S.S.

Edward Caissie — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:07:14 +0000

K.I.S.S. it until it gets complicated.
~Terri Caissie

I love my wife, especially when she comes up with these wonderful phrases.

Week 39: Back At It

Edward Caissie — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:51:54 +0000

Last week was an interesting vacation; not what I expected nor had in mind but for the most part it was productive and we accomplished a few things that needed to be done.

Due to an unforeseen and most definitely unexpected accident we replaced our walk-in closet shelving with some much more sturdier industrial style racking. We also seem to have increased the open floor space in the closet, too. No pocket change for the racking (~$600) but well worth the peace of mind and additional space. The do-it-yourself aspect also made the project less of a chore and more of an accomplishment.

Unfortunately our hapless cat Roo will not be venturing into that closet anytime soon. It was one of his favorite places until he was buried under seven feet of clothing and a myriad amount of boxes and what-have-you items that were stored on the top shelf.

No worries, Roo is physically fine … just a bit nervous; although to help entice him back into his favorite haunt we made sure to allow for a special space and a brand new cat pillow for him to safely sleep on.

Now, re-charged and ready for more fun and games I am getting this week off to a start by catching up on my correspondence and other items of note.

I’ll see about getting some pictures posted … maybe I will even catch one of Roo in his new bed, too.

Vacation: Sept 16 through Sept 23

Edward Caissie — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:41:06 +0000

Vacation! Yes, well, maybe … I have no plans to do any “work” for the next 7-10 days. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it …

Tiffany Falls and Sherman Falls

Edward Caissie — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:23:51 +0000

Yesterday we were able to get away for one of our favorite summer activities. “Waterfalling” is the term we coined for it. It really is quite simple, especially for those that live in the Golden Horseshoe. This is a region of southern Ontario, Canada that wraps around the western end of Lake Ontario. The area is full of naturally occurring waterfalls thanks in most part to the geography of the Niagara Escarpment.

Here are some pictures I took with my iPhone of Tiffany Falls and Sherman Falls; and, the trails leading to them. All of the pictures are in order with the first nine from Tiffany Falls ending with the old stone fireplace. The balance are from the short hike into Sherman Falls.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as we enjoyed the waterfalls in person.

Digital Darkness Day

Edward Caissie — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 15:03:55 +0000

Yesterday was our 17th wedding anniversary and as requested I spent the entire day away from my computers, and did not use my iPhone … no emails, no web surfing, no phone calls. It was quite peaceful and I thank my wife for the request and quite honestly look forward to making this an annual event.

Of course, this was made much easier by considering the day as a holiday, but also as a last-minute decision it was greatly appreciated by my family, friends, and colleagues to honor our choice, too.

So, I would like to propose that March 25 be set aside as Digital Darkness Day when you take the time to turn off your smart-phones, your computers, and any other devices. Take a quality day for you, your family, and your friends; and, if March 25 is not the best day for you then choose a day that is … but most of all, enjoy!

Adventures in Niagara

Edward Caissie — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:59:32 +0000

We went for a day trip to Niagara Falls today. We had planned to go to the Canada One Factory Outlets mall in the Falls. We also decided to have a look at the pawn shops in Niagara Falls; no particular reason just something different to do. This started us on a bit of a neighborhood drive around the city and has likely planted the seed of us moving there one day. Although we have been to the Falls on numerous occasions we really are not much more than the average tourist.

On our way back we decided to take the scenic route which ended up being on the “back roads” to Niagara-on-the-Lake. This took us along the Niagara River past the Niagara Whirlpool. We had not heard of this “tourist” spot before so when we found a lookout point we stopped to get a better view. Here are a few pictures I took with my iPhone:

Lasagna and a Guitar

Edward Caissie — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:22:02 +0000

Christmas lasagna and a new guitar; I’m not sure there is much more I could ask for today.

For the last few years I have been half-joking, half-seriously offering or suggesting lasagna for Christmas. I’m not talking about just any lasagna; I’m talking about my Cheesy Mushroom Meat Lasagna. This year I am happy to write we just finished having it for dinner.

I hadn’t made my lasagna in what seemed like forever so I was a bit out of sync in the kitchen but everything came together quite well. As the lasagna was browning, I prepared the Caesar salad; and, as the lasagna was cooling, I finished the garlic loaf. I’m about to go brew a nice after dinner coffee and enjoy a homemade cupcake my daughter made last night … fruitcake is on the menu for later tonight!

Also, later tonight, I will pick up my new guitar and play for another hour or two. My wife, Terri, went to great lengths to get this gift for me. It was a well kept secret until our family Christmas last night at my son and daughter-in-law’s home. I’ve been interested in playing the guitar for some time although I would have never purposely went out and bought one for myself … I’m glad my wife bought one for me. I’ve even been taking song requests for next Christmas. It’s a great feeling to look forward to Christmas again.

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family, and my readers, too!

… and a special thank you to my wife, for giving me the gift of Christmas spirit.

Coffee, Tea, or Keurig

Edward Caissie — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 14:25:25 +0000

I enjoy a good cup of coffee as much as I enjoy a good cup of tea. I also appreciate convenience and quality, too. You may be asking yourself why am I writing this? In a word: Keurig.

What is Keurig?

CHOOSE. BREW. ENJOY.^®
It’s how we see the world. It’s how we work. It’s how we relax. It’s how we wake up. It’s how we power down. Welcome to Keurig. For coffee, tea, hot cocoa and iced beverages, the world has discovered Keurig and it’s how you brew. With over 200 varieties to choose from, it’s always easy to find the right one-for you.
from the Keurig.com website

My wife recently put in a great deal of time, energy, and extra hours at her work to help with one of their charity drives. One particular event this time was tea and coffee service brought to everyone’s desk. They used a Tassimo machine to brew the coffee and teas they served. As she was telling me about her day we started talking about the various “coffee machines” that use this “cup” system. That was about a week and a half ago.

After some online research and some personal opinions we started to seriously look at the Keurig brewers. The brewer and K-Cups are competitively priced but the true deciding factor was simply the abundant brands (read: choice of flavors) that support the system.

Friday night we went shopping. It had been a long week and a little retail therapy was in order. We decided on the Cuisinart Brewing System and as fate would have it our old drip coffee maker needed to be replaced after its six years of nearly daily use. The warming element had just recently became exposed, which I only noticed as I was cleaning it for storage. The timing was just right.

Now, it’s time for my morning coffee but I have a serious dilemma: what flavor do I brew next?