Uses for binder clips: Coping with a dead microwave

If you have a spare microwave oven, you might consider giving it to my sad, tea-drinking friend. Do you see the arrangement he has had to make to keep his tea warm?

As you can see, he is resourcefully adaptable. But this arrangement is not going to help him if he wants to warm up a slice of pizza in a hurry or cook a potato in 5 minutes.

And while we're on this topic, perhaps we can start a movement to convince the Americans that there is a common Canadian expression about putting a toque on a teapot. I welcome your thoughts on how it would be phrased and what it might mean.

Take what you need

These signs were posted on Queen Street West in Toronto on Tuesday. Very close to where a camera operator was videotaping actors dressed like New York City police officers talking to a person dressed as a civilian.

Somebody or somebodies took "love" and something else from the first sign. And somebody or somebodies took "healing", "happiness" and something else from the second sign.

I would like to know what the something else was that was taken from both signs. I suspect it is something I might need myself.

Frosty the Cheeseman

I am proud to announce that I have created my first Instructable. It is my attempt to tell others how they too can make a tasty melting cheese treat that starts out looking like a snowman. While my version has innovations that others may not have tried, I am far from the original inventor of the melting cheese snowman.

Original Version: Charles Phoenix's Test Kitchen.

Instructable: Frosty the Cheeseman

Getting Hats - Paul Wins

Hair coming in nicely, but head still cold

I thought I was onto something when I blogged that I lost a toque and got 4 new ones for Christmas. But my little brother Paul beat me. He got 5 new hats. And all he had to do was have his head shaved.

It may have helped that the Cornwall Seaway News published an article (with video) and said:

Paul Scrimshaw knows all about the perils of cold weather now – he's experiencing the skull-chilling feeling of being bald after having his head shaved to benefit a young family grappling with a cancer diagnosis.

He raised over $2000 and  the hats started rolling in.

First the Cornwall hats:

Then the hats from the artistically gifted Heather Smith of Bluefront Studio:

This gem is a Whoo Hat.

Found Hat: Louisa at Lebreton

If I hadn't received so many nice hats for Christmas, I'd be tempted to take this toque that someone found by my house and put on the stop sign. It looks like the person who lost it is not a regular in the neighbourhood because it has been there for a few days.

Our new scarfs!

In front of the best Vietnamese restaurant in Ottawa

At lunch today, the exceptionally generous Kathy and Roy gave us fabulous Christmas presents from Lively Loops. I got a Ravenclaw Inspired Unisex Knitted Infinity Scarf and Manon got a John Snow Inspired Unisex Knitted Button Up Scarf.

You may notice that the shop owner of Lively Loops has the same last name as Roy. This is apparently not a coincidence. I suspect it's nice for Roy to have a niece who knits things inspired by George R.R. Martin characters.

You can get your own scarf or other inspired wearable items by clicking on Lively Loops and ordering.

Working at home today