@thegoldminer
About me First, I go by JJ = John Joseph Love grilling, cooking and the food. The BBQ grill is used about 5 nights a week. Great Prime Rib comes off my grill as well as steaks, pork chops, hamburgers, killer tri tip roast and veggies...... I find gold by panning and I enjoy taking pics. All pics are taken by me including the balloon pics. .... Certified to dive in 1968, dove off of Oahu, Cancun and Cozumel. .....Earned my private pilot license and glider license at 20. Flying a glider is too much fun! .......Post copious amounts of pics of food I cook when available otherwise my cats and other misc. I only post recipes I have made! Pics of food steps give an easier way to see how to make the recipe and how the dish should look once it is prepared....... Have four cats, Max, Molly, Megan and Maddie (Maddie isn't playing with a full deck)........ A former artist, I worked with molten lead. Had a one man showing at a gallery in Sacramento, CA....... Also referred to as the "Good Reverend JJ". Performed 14 weddings so far. The last wedding seating chart listed as me as "The Good Reverend JJ". Well OK then. .......While in Taipei, Taiwan, a few years ago I managed a personal meeting with the president of El Salvador, Alfredo Christiani and his finance minister, at my hotel, the Grand Hotel or former palace of Chiang-Kai-shek. .........In 1982 I put a full color ad in Popular Science magazine for a microwave antenna. 3 weeks after the ad ran the editor called me as as there were over 6500 reader inquires. He said only Apple Computers first ad had generated such a response and they had 6700 responses. That was cool. . .........Remodeling my house (6 years now) and where the new kitchen will be is a life size faux kitchen built out of flat cardboard formed into boxes. Exact size of the uppers and lowers, refrigerator, double ovens, the island, everything. Each lower is reinforced with triangles from top to bottom so they can each hold about 500 lbs. I couldn't see on the drawing where my butt would hit when I opened the oven door by the island, now I can. OK, one reason it is taking so long, beside running both companies is I cannot trust anyone to do the work correctly. I like things done right and beyond right. I am rewiring the whole house, all new Romex. All romex is in straight lines, laying flat, no twists, attached to the roof trusses and every piece of romex has the print facing out! If you look up anal in the dictionary it will say "See JJ". Only faux kitchen in the world, maybe universe. ........ After visiting my sister In Israel, her kitchen was old so when I got back I had a friend I stayed with find a contractor and we surprised her. She got to pick what she wanted, new stove, ovens, cabinets, solids surface counter tops, a new refrigerator, oh yes two sinks not one, and I think about 12 more feet of counter top space. Now cooking there for me would be fun. She picked, I paid, what are brothers for anyway. She is very happy. Hey ,she got hers before I did! ........Took a 10 day raft trip down the Colorado River. Go around Memorial weekend and the water will be blue instead of the dirt color. Take a collapsing fishing pole as the guide and I caught huge trout! .......... At age 16 I convinced a couple of friends in high school to skip school during a winter storm to raft down the American river, just a raging waterway, isn't that when you raft? Half way down the river a tree that had broke lose was stuck in the middle of the river. Of course our raft hit the tree, my friend Tony (16) and Albert (15) jumped on tree. I fell in the water, almost got sucked under into the branches, surely would have got stuck and died, then some how I was up on the tree. There we were stranded, me wet and cold, all calling for help as our raft popped up and went on its merry way. Soon someone heard us, the fire trucks arrive, then the news crews just filming away at the idiots stuck in the river. Fire dept. brings down a boat, we jump in and off to shore. Cameras in our faces. No problem for me, but my friend Tony didn't tell anyone he went or what happened. Next day his father gets a call, "Hey saw Tony on TV last night". Tony wasn't allowed to play with me any more :-( .........In 1976 I went white water rafting down the South Fork of the American River. Pushed off into the river. About 20 yards down the raft gets stuck on gravel. I get out, push the raft back into the rapids and jump so hard to get back in I jumped right over raft into the rapids right before I put on my life jacket. Down the rapids I go, sucking water in, up, down ,up, down, more water in, about to drown, and then it happened, my whole life flashed by in a microsecond, it really happens. Some how came up one more time and got to shore and thought about that for a while. ........Have driven a Nascar at the California Speedway in Southern Ca, 150 MPH around the track, too damn much fun. I need to go back and do 20 more laps. ..........2-20-08 - Went in for surgery to remove the turkey neck, sagging old skin under the chin. 3 hours later I have a jaw line! No pain, just some swelling. I am loving it and now want to have my pic taken any time! A great doctor, did not change my smile or facial look, just a nice neck and jaw line. I would wake up several times during the surgery, they just do a light sedation, and I would start telling jokes. Doc said I wouldn't stop talking. More sedation, keep him quiet! Three weeks, doing really good. Really glad I did this! ........Use to ride a beautiful new 1972 Harley Davidson Super Glide motorcycle, extended front and had most of it chromed. It cost brand new out the door for $2362.00. It was fun to ride and I was stupid to sell it. Enough said on that. ......Ireland, would love to go there. I am a quarter Irish and a quarter English and half from some where else in Europe...... also go to Italy, the Tuscany area for about 2 weeks, and seriously want to spend 2 months in Australia. I want to see some Aussie's who came to the state and World Gold Panning Championship held nearby in Coloma, site of the big gold rush. We all had a blast, I did very well in the state and world contest. I have many friends in AU from my quilting business and many foodies down under. I promise to cook for all and can't wait to chow down on some Kangaroo. Maybe that will put a little hop in my step :-) .......... About 10 years ago I built one of the most gorgeous atrium's a person could want at their home. Made from clear redwood. It is 20 by 24 feet and peaked like the house. The roof is covered in flat Filon, I got GE to send me 4-26 foot rolls before they formed it into panels. I used over 1200 screws with rubber gaskets to hold the roof down. The 2 x 2's where 2x6's and I ripped them all on the band saw. Then I had to use a router to make all the bottom edges look the same. It took me 1.5 hours to rout all the edges, it was just over a half mile in total length. The French doors that open into the atrium are painted in Hunter Green, so anything not wood is painted the same color, all the bolts, nuts, washers, and the metal beams that keep it tied together. There are no nails in the structure, only predrilled holes with screws. It took 2 months to build. It is amazing to look at. I will post a recipe for an atrium and post many pics.......... Use to own a concrete company, a sprinkler design company, and a couple of others. Always needing a challenge. .........Have several patents and trademarks, all because of a busy mind. Wake up at 2 am and go out a build a prototype that I had pop into my head while sleeping......... Love working in Photoshop and will adjust anyone's pics. My two companies are www.wrapnstrap.com - www.paulajeancreations.com. I hire and fire myself daily :-) JJ .........................................New bio stuff. I forgot I almost died three other times. I was 12 years old and eating peanuts at school and someone bumped me and a peanut went down into my lung. Next day, coughing a lot, went to the doctor. He says “Are his lips always blue”. He said go straight to the hospital, about 2 hours later in the operating room, he pulls out the peanut. He said if we had waited the peanut would have broke apart and I would have been “mort” in a about 6-8 of hours............. Another time when landing a glider a powered plane cut in front of me. His turbulence caused the glider to hurtle sideways towards the ground. My passenger and I were 2-3 seconds from becoming part of a small knoll before the landing strip. I fought the controls, back and forth we were tossed. Just before impact I gained control and pulled up so close to the ground that one wing went through a bush tearing a hole in the wing. I landed on the grass between the taxiway and landing strip. Everyone came up running and said “Great recovery”! I went home and changed my shorts :-( ............The saga continues-About 20 years ago I was camped on the South Fork of the American River, there for opening day of stream trout fishing. I get up opening morning, just plan cold in the camper and colder outside. I dress heavily, its cold, get my pole and tackle and off I go. The river is moving at a pretty good clip, Spring time, snow melt is feeding the frenzy of water. I had just started fishing when I went to take a big step, a small jump, from one boulder to another. Next thing I am in the water being dragged down stream. I don't remember how I got to shore, let alone pull myself up and out of the water. Totally logged down with water, freezing cold water. Still had my pole, guess my hand was frozen around it. Got to the camper, peeled off the clothes, got in the sleeping bag and shook for about 2 hours. Geez, I sure have all the fun in life............ Still waiting to take over and land a 747 when the crew is incapacitated for what ever reason. I know I can land it if they give me a long run way. Oh yes, I love flying in totally bumpy weather. Give me those updrafts and huge down drafts, oh yea.