a little ambition goes a long way

My brother recently got a 1-year subscription of Handyman magazine for me. He knows that I like working with wood, and doing projects around my house, so this was a great gift! (Thanks, Joel!) One of the articles explained how to clean hard water build-up in your shower and get rid of rust stains in your bathroom. They said to use a strong cleaning product like the Works, or any product containing hydrochloric acid and just hold a cup of it under the shower head. Presto - the hard water and rust build up is gone!

It does work, but I didn't fully appreciate the results. I really should have read the directions. It is an acid. So getting it on your skin, even just a little tiny bit, is bad. When it was dripping off of my shower head, I think some of it got on my hands. The fiery red-hot burning sensation went away eventually though. and i didn't even have to call the poison control center like the directions said i should. bonus.

Next time, I'll be more careful.

new music

It's been a while since I've last posted...sorry about that, faithful readers.

I received some new music over the holidays that I'm really loving. Sandra McCracken put out a new album called The Builder and the Architect which is a collection of old hymns put to new music. Simple, pure, folksy sounding - it's beautiful, really.

And I also am listening to Derek Webb's latest CD The Ringing Bell, that's ever so provocative, edgy, and true. One of the lyrics to his songs states, "there's a time for peace, there is a time for war, there's a time to forgive and a time to settle the score, a time for babies to lose their lives, a time for hunger and genocide...and this too shall be made right."

It's rare that you listen to a entire album and like/appreciate every song. I'd have to say that for both of these cds, that is the case indeed. And I'm loving it.