Are you a motivated person when it comes to making stuff?

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Most genuises are at least a little insane.


I prefer the term eccentric… Long ago I worked for an R&D Catscan company in silicone valley. We developed a CT designed to scan the human heart non-invasively.

Talk about a group of eccentric people. We had a software scientist who had a 3-foot pony tail and rode a skate board around the offices and factory, he was 70 years old. :D Another guy I really liked, our metallurgist, a scientist from India, he wore big fuzzy house slippers to work, but he was a cool guy! :D:D:D

The list was endless, almost everyone who worked for that company would be considered nuts by regular society.

We had another software guy that always entered a door 3 times. He’d go back out, re-enter etc. OCD as all heck but he was brilliant! :D I always made sure I wasn’t having a conversation with him on the way to lunch in the break room, it’d take 20 minutes to get there….
:LOL:

We had a bunch or brits working there with their twisted sense of humor. Combine twisted with eccentric and it was non-stop laughter. It was a fun place to work!

:LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
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So....you fit right in ...huh?
biker-smiley-emoticon-1.gif





Jim
 
So....you fit right in ...huh?
biker-smiley-emoticon-1.gif


Jim

I always thought the craziest person at that company was the physicist who dreamed up this technology and hired 80 crazy people to develop it.

The technology is still used today. How do you think thousands of people and tons of baggage are scanned so quickly at airports… ;)
 
Hilarious.
NH and I talked a while a few years ago about growing saffron, considering the price you can get per OUNCE. Or let's say a pound...$500 to $5000 per pound. Imagine the security system you'd have to have. Like a freaking black market item, higher priced than gold, opium, heroin or cocaine.
Nice article from wikipedia you posted. You have to handpick those little stigmas, 100,000 of them to make a pound, in a very short window of time.
(They call me mellow yellow. I'm just wild about saffron. Donovan song from the 60s, surely you remember?!)
Iran produces at least 90% of the saffron.

That is suppose to be an ingredient in yellow rice, but I kind of doubt it knowing the price of that stuff.
I figured we make our own yellow rice till I saw the price of a half teaspoon of the stuff. :eyeballs::huh:

I don't make do cratfs. I get all wrapped up in tape so never liked wrapping gifts or pulling strings. I did make an Afgan once about 40 years ago. Or using Saran Wrap!
 
They thought I was slow in school also and I had to work hard to prove the teachers right ( out of spite ) . In my life I have invented practical tools or processes only to be ridiculed or yelled at by a supervisor for wasting "company resources. " It was not until a couple of years ago I discovered the book "The Curse of the High IQ" It shed light on why I have had stumbling blocks in my life in terms of career or in innovation . A lot of them are of my own making.
 
They thought I was slow in school also and I had to work hard to prove the teachers right ( out of spite ) . In my life I have invented practical tools or processes only to be ridiculed or yelled at by a supervisor for wasting "company resources. " It was not until a couple of years ago I discovered the book "The Curse of the High IQ" It shed light on why I have had stumbling blocks in my life in terms of career or in innovation . A lot of them are of my own making.

:mugbump::thumbs up:
 
I love to craft with paper....little things such as tea bags, or lining envelopes and making them a little fancy, but this year I am into using composition note books to make cook books for the family....I could say I am addicted...LOL...love to see how they turn out.....then decided to do one on farming, with pics of goats, cow, recipes....but then the butterflies came along...and I just keep going....
 
I seem to always be working on something either at work or at home. Always willing to try something new, some things I realize I don't care for and move on to something else. Other stuff I'll start on a realize I just don't have time currently to devote to it. So I do have several things to work on learning when I retire. Blacksmithing is one of them. I'm always trying new stuff in the garden and have learned a ton from that.
I think a lot of mine goes back to growing up farming. We pretty much did anything and everything that needed doing.
 
Hilarious.
NH and I talked a while a few years ago about growing saffron, considering the price you can get per OUNCE. Or let's say a pound...$500 to $5000 per pound. Imagine the security system you'd have to have. Like a freaking black market item, higher priced than gold, opium, heroin or cocaine.
Nice article from wikipedia you posted. You have to handpick those little stigmas, 100,000 of them to make a pound, in a very short window of time.
(They call me mellow yellow. I'm just wild about saffron. Donovan song from the 60s, surely you remember?!)
Iran produces at least 90% of the saffron.
All these years later, I had no idea the song was about saffron. I must have heard the song thousands of times, just didn't put it together.

Do you think you would have to have a security system? Only if someone knew what you had and the value. Not many people are aware of them. I know people who are serious gourmet cooks who talk about saffron, and had no idea that they could grow their own in their garden. I have some bulbs that came a few days ago and will get them planted soon. My daughter and I talked about how expensive saffron is and how it would be a wonderful thing to grow and sell, if we had the right space and place. This is where I ordered mine from. I would love to order several thousand. I think ordering a few every year would be a good way to build up stock. If I was wealthy, I would order thousands and have someone plant them in my garden. One thing I want to do is to figure out a way to mark where all of my bulbs are planted so that I can move them in the fall when I want and need to.

https://www.dutchgrown.com/products...ebGIR5gVK8muD7nyBVBjaID-fdFHxuCYaAvx1EALw_wcB
 
I love to craft with paper....little things such as tea bags, or lining envelopes and making them a little fancy, but this year I am into using composition note books to make cook books for the family....I could say I am addicted...LOL...love to see how they turn out.....then decided to do one on farming, with pics of goats, cow, recipes....but then the butterflies came along...and I just keep going....
I would love to see a photo of your composition note book cook books. I have a great love for composition notebooks. I used them for years in my classroom and when I found they were 25 cents a piece during back to school sales, I bought a few. I still have some.

I have a sewn cover for a composition notebook that was made for me. I love this idea, but my plate is too full right now for me to make some.
 
$15.38 last time I priced saffron at wally world, for .06 oz. $256.34 per ounce.
$1519.14 is current price for gold per ounce.
Might be able to find a program on YouTube that I watched a few years back about the growing of crocus and harvesting of saffron. Very tedious.
Each bulb produces one flower which produces three stigmas which have to be hand harvested. Good luck!
 
$15.38 last time I priced saffron at wally world, for .06 oz. $256.34 per ounce.
$1519.14 is current price for gold per ounce.
Might be able to find a program on YouTube that I watched a few years back about the growing of crocus and harvesting of saffron. Very tedious.
Each bulb produces one flower which produces three stigmas which have to be hand harvested. Good luck!
I will look for that video as well. There are some videos out there that show how the crocus are grown in otherwise desolate places and how they all need to be harvested when they bloom and the stigma need to be taken out the same day. I harvested a few from the flowers I found. It sure takes a lot to be able to have enough to cook anything with. I have yet to ever cook with saffron.

But like all things, I want to be able to grow my own herbs and spices. I have just not focused on it enough. Every year I try to grow some from seed, but I have not had such good luck. I usually do better with growing purchased ones. I have some in terracotta pots that I will bring in when it freezes. Some years they make it after the move, some years they do not.
 
@Patchouli My Italian gma would harvest her own. We make "rizzot" - yellow rice which is sooo delicious.
@snappy1 @Amish Heart @Dani I've taught several people to make soap. When I do, they make crockpot soap which is actually hot process. It's what I make on a continual basis. It's pretty simple and you can use the soap in 24 hours rather than having to wait weeks with the soap standing to cure. If you have the ingredients and a crockpot, you might give it a whirl. It is also a good recipe to get folks over the fear of soap-making.
@Cascadian Yes, please make trikes. That would be so cool!

As far as being motivated - yep pretty much. I tend to research the heck out of some interest, then when I am bored with researching, dive in. I have a vintage travel trailer that we did a resto. on. One day, I backed her into the shop and started unscrewing the trim and pulling panels off. A friend with an old trailer asked if I'd done it before. Nope, but I figured if it went together with parts, it should be able to go in the reverse order, repaired and reassembled. She called me brave. I just thought it was practical. Hubby ended up helping a lot! It would have taken much longer if he hadn't, and we wanted to use it. Other things: using a loom, tanning hides - I've researched and done but not my thing. Always something.
 
@LadyLocust Can you please post your recipe of crockpot soap. Also once you use your crockpot for soap making I am assuming you can no longer cook in it? I have several now inheriting one that a renter left but then another that granny had when we moved her in, here went straight into storage since I have 4 at the house that are all different sizes.
 
Sure thing @Dani . I pretty much have it memorized but if I went to type it out would probably mess it up so give me a day to get it and post it. I wouldn't be afraid of using my crockpots for food after making soap. I only make natural soaps so no mystery chemicals. That said, I have two I use for soap and one in the house for stew etc - mostly for convenience. Some soap makers use synthetic colors & scents, petroleum products, etc. - I wouldn't use it for food if I used those products (just my opinion.)
 
@Dani

Crockpot Soap
12.8 oz olive oil (B grade not extra virgin)
3.2 oz coconut oil
6 oz water
2.2 oz lye (NaOH)
*essential oil and grapefruit seed extract - these are optional. The GSE is to help preserve shelf life. Ours doesn't last that long:)

On low heat in crockpot, begin melting coconut oil. In glass jar, put water. Take outside or at least near an open window, then add lye to water and stir with wooden spoon. When dissolved and aired out, bring back inside. Once coconut oil is melted, add olive oil and stir together. By this time, the lye water is a good temperature. Use stick blender to mix to trace. Leave crockpot on low, covered for 1 hour. When hour is up, stir in essential oils and GSE if desired. Pour into mold. Wrap or cover with old bath towel and leave it over night. The next day, unmold &/or cut. It is safe to use at this point or leave it for a couple days to dry a bit.

***MY NOTES: I have a picante salsa jar I use because it is kinda >< shaped which makes it easier to hang onto. I measured the water the first time and put it in the jar then used a permanent marker to draw a line on the jar so I don't have to measure in a different cup each time I make soap. It is very important to add the lye to the water and not the other way around. The chemical reaction between the two creates its own heat and an odor. I use a paint stick to stir instead of ruining a good wooden spoon. They do wear out over time so then I just get a new paint stick. It's important not to use metals. Trace is when it begins to thicken - they say just pudding-like. It is very important to accurately measure the main ingredients (for the saponification process to occur properly.) But I don't measure the essential oils. I would say a generous 1/4 tsp. of essential oils - maybe a skosh more. I don't like my soap over scented but like it to have some scent (if that makes sense.) With the GSE - just 5 drops for this recipe. For this recipe, my favorite mold is a 1 quart milk or cream carton. The second day, you can just tear it away and it makes 5 nice sized bars. The reason for wrapping it in a towel is because you don't want it to cool too quickly.
I have and use other recipes too, but this is my go-to.

If I have skipped something or if something isn't clear, just holler.
 
@Dani

Crockpot Soap
12.8 oz olive oil (B grade not extra virgin)
3.2 oz coconut oil
6 oz water
2.2 oz lye (NaOH)
*essential oil and grapefruit seed extract - these are optional. The GSE is to help preserve shelf life. Ours doesn't last that long:)

On low heat in crockpot, begin melting coconut oil. In glass jar, put water. Take outside or at least near an open window, then add lye to water and stir with wooden spoon. When dissolved and aired out, bring back inside. Once coconut oil is melted, add olive oil and stir together. By this time, the lye water is a good temperature. Use stick blender to mix to trace. Leave crockpot on low, covered for 1 hour. When hour is up, stir in essential oils and GSE if desired. Pour into mold. Wrap or cover with old bath towel and leave it over night. The next day, unmold &/or cut. It is safe to use at this point or leave it for a couple days to dry a bit.

***MY NOTES: I have a picante salsa jar I use because it is kinda >< shaped which makes it easier to hang onto. I measured the water the first time and put it in the jar then used a permanent marker to draw a line on the jar so I don't have to measure in a different cup each time I make soap. It is very important to add the lye to the water and not the other way around. The chemical reaction between the two creates its own heat and an odor. I use a paint stick to stir instead of ruining a good wooden spoon. They do wear out over time so then I just get a new paint stick. It's important not to use metals. Trace is when it begins to thicken - they say just pudding-like. It is very important to accurately measure the main ingredients (for the saponification process to occur properly.) But I don't measure the essential oils. I would say a generous 1/4 tsp. of essential oils - maybe a skosh more. I don't like my soap over scented but like it to have some scent (if that makes sense.) With the GSE - just 5 drops for this recipe. For this recipe, my favorite mold is a 1 quart milk or cream carton. The second day, you can just tear it away and it makes 5 nice sized bars. The reason for wrapping it in a towel is because you don't want it to cool too quickly.
I have and use other recipes too, but this is my go-to.

If I have skipped something or if something isn't clear, just holler.
Never use glass to dissolve lye in. Even Pyrex can explode. Stainless steel or heat resistant plastic is a safer choice.
Bar soap doesn't need a preservative.
In my opinion crockpot/hot process soap doesn't need to be wrapped when it's in the mold. With cold process soap they wrap it to force it to gel all the way through. Hot process soap usually goes through a gel stage while it's in the crockpot. It's not usually necessary to cook it for an hour. Once it goes through the gel stage it's done. For me that's about 20-30 minutes.
 
@Shawn Burkett That is so interesting- I was taught never use metals (for any of it.). I believe you as stainless is a bit different than mild steel or aluminum. I've never had an issue using my glass jar but I usually give it a quick rinse before adding the water so no temperature shock to it.
 
As far as being motivated - yep pretty much. I tend to research the heck out of some interest, then when I am bored with researching, dive in. I have a vintage travel trailer that we did a restoration. on. One day, I backed her into the shop and started unscrewing the trim and pulling panels off. A friend with an old trailer asked if I'd done it before. Nope, but I figured if it went together with parts, it should be able to go in the reverse order, repaired and reassembled. She called me brave. I just thought it was practical. Hubby ended up helping a lot! It would have taken much longer if he hadn't, and we wanted to use it. Other things: using a loom, tanning hides - I've researched and done but not my thing. Always something.
I am always trying things as well. I do lots of research as well before I dive in. I laid ceramic tile in my kitchen and bathroom, after lots of research. No doubt it was work an took time, but if you research and mentally walk through each step, you can do lots of things. The hardest part of the tile for me was moving the tile saw. They are heavy and awkward. Someone wanted to help me with the saw and he struggled with the saw as well.

I have wanted to restore a vintage trailer as well, but my house still needs lots of work. I keep plugging away, but will never be done, unless I win the lottery and hire it all out.
 
@Shawn Burkett That is so interesting- I was taught never use metals (for any of it.). I believe you as stainless is a bit different than mild steel or aluminum. I've never had an issue using my glass jar but I usually give it a quick rinse before adding the water so no temperature shock to it.
Yes only stainless steel. Aluminum and other metals react with the lye. It's also important that your stick blender has stainless steel blades.
 

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