In the last newsletter we found some things that pleased us and some that just "sucked." I would like to make this a regular part of our Quarterly Issue. If any of you subscribers have encountered a product or a service that you would like to praise or pan, let us know and we will plug it into the next issue.

A wonderful thing happens when someone does what they say they are going to do. It restores your faith in the human animal. This has happened to me twice in the last month. Illustration: I am trying to lose weight for the 2005 ski season so I can keep up with the middle aged skiers I usually join each year. To do this I have employed "Slimfast" products. I was very happy with the results, enjoying meal options like chocolate milkshakes instead of cheeseburgers. Even going so far as picking up the little candy bars to satisfy my after dinner craving for sweets. Well, a box of twenty-four bars is not cheap, especially when you find several wrappers empty. Talk about your dismay, I was seriously dismayed. I complained to "Slimfast" online, and guess what? They sent me a check to replace the missing candy bars, along with some coupons for future purchases.

Another good thing that happened to me this month starts with an order I placed with 84 Lumber for some decking to be delivered to my home. They employ outside contractors to make their deliveries which in this case, was to Harford County, Maryland. The subcontractor, McGuirk Bros. made the delivery and unfortunately, the decking drop was not calculated properly. The result: A whole load of decking plowed through the block wall of my garden taking out two tomato plants, one pepper plant, and relocating several slugs to new zip codes. In the process, a few of the long decking planks were also damaged.

I phoned in my complaint to 84 Lumber, who in turn gave me McGuirk's number. After an explanation of the damage to McGuirk's, they promised to repair my wall, and replace the damaged planks. Today I received a check to buy several new planks. I looked out by the garden and all repairs have been made to the damaged wall. Now about the tomato and pepper plants, I don't care about the slugs, I will just settle for a pizza.

They were good experiences, now here is something that just "sucks."

Regardless of your politics or what you think about the war in Iraq, the people that are fighting that war are our brothers, sisters, our friends and neighbors. Some are not receiving mail. Maybe they have no family, or their friends do not know they are there. Whatever the reason, they feel abandoned I am sure. I spent several years in the US Navy, and I looked forward to every letter from home. It is a feeling hard to describe unless you have been there. To be that far removed from your home, fighting for your country, and not hearing from anyone you are risking your life for just "sucks."

If you know someone there, find their address and write a letter to them. Let them know what you are doing everyday. If you don't know anyone there do this.
Write to:
Soldier
Camp Manhattan
Unit #15145
APO AE 09381-5145

Your letter will be delivered to a soldier that has received no mail for thirty days or more.

If you need a better excuse to send a little mail, consider sending birthday cards. Just send one to each soldier, or even to just one soldier. Allow about 10 days mailing time. I don't know that soldiers will be able to reply, hopefully they will get too many cards to respond to any of them. But you can include a return address if you like, a note about yourself, or how you heard about this project - and just a note of your thoughts wishing them a happy birthday.

For the month of November:
3rd: Matthew Cox (1979)
4th: David Drawdy (1983)
6th: Paul Cho (1969)
      Nathaniel Cutter (1984)
7th: Kenneth Eastridge (1983)
      Michael Lewis (1976)
16th: Jorge Cornejo (1973)
18th: Jeffrey Kierna (1984)
23rd: Timothy Hilt (1984)
24th: William Jones (1969)
        John Lapinski (1983)
26th: Claude Lambert (1978)
27th: Justin Grant (1981)
30th: Eric Cassidy (1976)

Address each card with the soldier's name in the first line followed by the above address.

Many times a home owner will have occasion to call a subcontractor such as a plumber, electrician, roofer, or mason. Unfortunately, a few homeowners do not heed our warning and neglect to ask for that all important information, license and insurance certificate. If you have read our "Beware" page on the website you will know of all the bad, really bad things that can happen to you when you hire an unlicensed person. If that guy on your roof falls and gets hurt, guess who is going to pay for his medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering? Well you get the picture, more grief then you really need. Be selective, ask questions and get referrals. Check your local source for any pending discrepancies against this contractor.

Another thing you should be concerned about is the price of the job. Is this to be billed hourly, how much, and when does the clock start? You establish a "not to exceed" cap for budget purposes, and let them know that cap after an hourly price is agreed upon. Sometimes it will require two separate visits if your budget is exceeded. If the job is to be bid, be sure you spell out in writing what make or model equipment, colors, styles and locations for installation. Who is responsible for delivery and payment of each piece. Be sure to retain any manufacturers' information enclosed in the packaging. Keep a record of what, who, and when, of each installation. If you need repairs or parts, this information will be helpful for any warranty rights you may have, and the contractor that installed the equipment will be familiar with the unit.

There is still time to make any painting projects work, as long as the temperature is above 55 degrees. Time to check your roof for any wind damage, also your rain gutters and downspouts.

Clean up any garden tools you will not be using until Spring. If you have plans to plant a tree, now is a good time. Pruning can be done on most trees and shrubs, and think about a mulch pile. Sounds better than "compost," when the leaves start to fall.

Check your batteries in the smoke detector, practice the family fire drill with the children. Make sure everyone knows where to meet, and count noses. Most important, do not go back in a burning building for anything, let the firemen do that.

Harvest any garden products, turn over the soil, and plant any bulbs you wish to see bloom in the Spring. I pull up any herbs by the roots, wash the root ball free of soil and hang upside down in the shed. After they are dry, transfer to a ziploc bag.

Walk around the house and inspect window and door surrounds, look for dry and separating caulk. This allows water and weather in, and heat out. Scrape off the old stuff and apply a new bead of caulk where needed. The price of gas will be out of sight this year. Not a bad time to take a look around to see if you can improve on increasing the "R" factor of your insulation, maybe thicker in the attic, sealing around doors, windows and other openings on the inside of the house, and change filters in the furnace.

Here is a recipe for one of those cold and windy days of November while sitting around watching football. I know I spelled it wrong, but that is the way it is pronounced by the natives in the New England area. This is not your traditional chowder, but I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

George's "Ah Chewawa Chowder"

1/4 cup of unsalted butter
1 large onion diced
3 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1 package of frozen corn thawed
1/3 cup of chicken stock
2-1/4 Tbs. cornstarch
3 cups of milk
1-1/2 cups of crabmeat
6 onces of cooked chicken white meat
1-1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 lb. of roasted poblano peppers chopped
1-1/2 canned chipotle chile finely minced
3/4 lime sliced
3 Tbs. fresh cilantro chopped

Saute onion and garlic in a non-stick large saucepan over medium to high heat until onion is soft, then transfer to a blender. Add corn, chicken stock and cornstarch blend until smooth. Return all of this to the same pan with a little more butter and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add milk and reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover, reduce heat again and let simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except for the lime and cilantro. Add salt to taste. Heat once again to a low simmer. Ladle out in deep bowls and garnish with the lime and cilantro. "Ah Chewawa." My name is George Waldhauser, and I hope you approve of this message. See you when the snow blows, Winter of 2004