Steven Helmer Publications

The girls do a decent job of keeping them scooped and changing the litter on a relatively routine basis. But, it's amazing just how awful they still manage to get. I decided to help them out a couple days ago and, while I was scooping the litter, the ammonia smell made my eyes water. So, after mowing the lawn, I decided to take them outside, empty them and pressure wash them with the hose. Wow, what a mess. We recently bought Fresh Step cat litter because it was on sale at Costco. I'll never do that again (I just threw the remainder of it in the garbage). It didn't absorb anything and there was a thick layer of gross stuff on the bottom of each of their litter boxes. It took me a good 20 minutes to get all that gunk off of them. So, now, the cats have clean litter boxes with their regular cat litter in them. I've already noticed the laundry room doesn't stink nearly as much as a result. Guess I'll have to plan on doing that more often.

I've had this thought before. But, as I watched the Green Bay Packers soundly defeat the Chicago Bears last night, I once again began to wonder if maybe the National Football League should give some serious consideration to it. A slaughter rule, for those who have never heard of it, is a rule that allows a game to end early if one of the teams has no chance of winning. It's mainly used in youth sports as a way of preventing one team from getting embarrassed. However, at the professional level, a rule like that would be more about preventing unnecessary injuries. While it's not something I would expect to see used a lot in the NFL, I do think it's a rule that has its place. Sure, there will be some critics, such as fantasy football players, who would be opposed to it. And, I'm sure advertising revenue would also come into play. But, with the league becoming more health conscious, I do think there are some circumstances where a rule like that would make a lot o...

Synopsis: Fin ( Ice-T ) captures a fugitive rapist ( Will Chase ) in Cuba. However, his questionable tactics may result in an international incident and the rapist being set free. A misunderstanding with Noah ( Ryan Buggle ) leads to Olivia ( Mariska Hargitay ) being investigated for child abuse. My Thoughts : 1. Olivia being accused of child abuse at the end of this episode wasn't that much of a surprise. The season 19 premiere pretty much set that up from the start, including having Noah make some comments (about wanting his Nanny as his mom) that has the potential to provoke a negative response. And, the second someone mentioned his bruises, it wasn't hard to figure out it was likely from her pulling him from out in front of that taxi. 2. I'm undecided about the whole child abuse investigation story line. However, I'm very disappointed by the decision to once again bring back Cassidy ( Dean Winters ) as the surprise from her past. I've never been a fan o...

I was a little disappointed on my walk this morning. I decided to risk wet feet and go through the park (rather than just walking along the lake shoreline) because I thought, with the dew, I would get some great spiderweb photos. But, as it turns out, there weren't any to be found. I think maybe the temps got a little too cold for them last night or something. Fortunately, there were other signs of life and, even though it was a little difficult because the sun wasn't quite up yet, I was able to get some other photos while I was there. Here's a selection:

At first, I thought this snake was dead because, even though I didn't spot it until I was almost on top of it, it didn't budge. Plus, I couldn't find its head (it's not uncommon to find beheaded snakes after they mow the paths). However, as it turns out, it was still alive. It was just busy trying to catch a grasshopper that had hidden itself in the dirt. It pretty much ignored me as a result. But, unfortunately, I couldn't get a better photo because, by the time I got in a better position, it had its lunch and was slithering into the taller grass.

Synopsis: After being accused of accepting a bribe when researching and recommending trains for the New York City subway, Walter Garber is reassigned to the dispatch center pending the outcome of the investigation. When one of the train cars is taken hostage by a group of men demanding a $10,000 ransom and refusing to talk to the police, it is up to him to keep the group's leader from killing passengers. Who's in it? The movie stars Denzel Washington , John Travolta , John Turturro , James Gandolfini and Victor Gojcaj . Review: My wife had the TV remote while I grabbed a shower last night and, when I came into the living room, I saw she had picked out this film, which was airing on one of our movie channels. This is a movie she has wanted to see for a few years now but we never got around to watching it. So, after making some popcorn, we ended up doing just that. And, overall, it ended up being an OK movie. To be honest, part of the reason why it took us so long t...

I saw this caterpillar while out walking at lunch today and decided to get a video of it as it moved up the trail. There were two things that surprised me about this insect. First, it moved a lot faster than I was expecting it to move. Second, it wasn't afraid to move directly toward me. I stopped the video right as it was coming up on my toes. In any case, it was fun (and peaceful) to watch it so I thought I would share.

There's nothing overly special about this video. I just found, when I'm extra stressed, watching/listening to nature often will help calm my nerves. And, since I know there's a lot going on in the world at the moment that might be causing everyone else some added stress, I figured I would videotape and share these ducks.

I was running a bit late this morning and had to stop by the grocery store for bread. But, I did manage to get a quick walk in before coming into the office. There were plenty of ducks out this morning, including this one sitting next to the water.

It was skate/dance night again last night and, since none of us would be home until after 7:30, I decided to through some pork chops and green beans in our slow cooker before going to work. I had planned on adding some fresh potatoes as well. However, when I opened up the bag we had in our pantry and discovered they were rotting, I ended up making this product instead. I purchased the Betty Crocker Loaded Casserole variety about a week ago because I happened to see it on sale (about $2.50) and figured it would be an OK choice for circumstances like I described above. And, overall, I think it was a good purchase. I'm actually not a huge fan of boxed potatoes like this and, to be honest, there wasn't anything about this particular product that made me change my mind. In other words, when eating this, I didn't notice anything that would make me believe I could be tricked into thinking they were freshly made. But, given the circumstances, I thought they were a decent com...

The trails were somewhat crowded with people today and, because of that, I wasn't able to get as many photos as I would have preferred. But, I did see this caterpillar crawling up one of the stalks in the marsh and was able to get a photo of it.

I wasn't expecting to see this furry critter while out on my walk this morning. I was walking along the shoreline and it was hopping on the rocks near the water for some reason. At first, I didn't think it was going to let me get a photo. But, it did stop long enough for me to grab one.

Mostly because of the unusual heat (we were in the 90s) on Saturday, my family and I ended up having a bit of a lazy day and, other than doing up the dishes and a couple other small chores, spent most of the day getting caught up on the television shows we had on DVR. When dinnertime came around, I decided to keep things simple and made some spaghetti. And, since I already had a box in the freezer, decided to throw some Our Family Twisted Garlic Bread Sticks in the toaster oven too. I purchased this product a couple weeks ago with the intention of having them with something else we made for dinner (I wound up forgetting I had purchased them). I made the purchase primarily because the bread sticks were on sale and I was looking for an affordable side dish to go with dinner (I think we had pizza that night).  After having them on Saturday, I did think it was a good purchase. Prior to buying this product, I purchased a similar product from a bargain brand. I was very unimpres...

I was hoping it would be a little cooler on my walk today. I don't normally mind hotter temps. But, when it's really humid, it does make the walk a little more uncomfortable than I prefer. That did not turn out to be the case, however. The temps were a little better than they've been the past couple of days (I actually had to get our air conditioner out of the shed this weekend). However, it still was kind of muggy and, as a result of that, I did keep my walk somewhat short today. Here are some of the photos I still managed to get:

Synopsis: After hearing reports of grave robbing and vandalism, a pair of siblings check on their grandfather's grave and, with a group of their friends, visit the now-abandoned family homestead. While their, they meet a psychotic hitchhiker and are chased by someone wearing a leather mask and carrying a chainsaw. Who's in it? The movie stars Marilyn Burns , Allen Danziger , Edwin Neal , Gunnar Hansen and William Vail . Review: It had been a while since I took the time to watch the original version of this movie (I've only seen the remakes and sequels recently). So, when I had an opportunity to do so this weekend, I took the time to sit down with my wife and do just that. After seeing this film again, I must admit my opinion of it is a bit mixed. Of all the movies with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre name attached to them, I think this one is the best of them. Part of the reason for that is I like how the movie maintains a reasonably fast pace. The killing (or at l...

Synopsis : Amy Bruni and Adam Berry visit a New York home that once belonged to the state's first executioner, Edwin R. Davis because the home's current owner thinks there is a demonic spirit trying to kill him. My Thoughts: 1. For all the talk about the dangers of amateur investigations, Amy and Adam sure made a bit amateur mistake of their own. They went into the house assuming the ghost they were trying to talk to was Edwin Davis rather than first doing their research to see who else might have lived in the home or going in with no assumptions at all. 2. The video of the homeowner, Jason, falling down those basement steps was inconclusive. To me at least, it looked like he stumbled. I saw nothing that convinced me he was pushed by an unseen entity. And, his claim he couldn't stumbling first could easily be explained by the fact he hit his head. 3. Also, as much as I tried to use my imagination watching Amy and Adam's video of those same steps, I just cou...

Normally, I try to bring my lunch with me from home. But, I just wasn't in the mood to do that this morning (I even told my oldest daughter I would pay for her to have hot lunch at school for the first time this year) and decided, instead, to just pick something up after my walk. I ended up going to Kwik Trip before returning to the office with the intention of picking up one of their burgers. However, when I got there, that section had already been picked clean and, since I didn't have time to wait for them to bring out some more, I ended up looking for an alternative. After a lot of consideration, I wound up buying this product for $3.59. When I purchased this item, I really wasn't sure what to expect from it. I've had similar products in the past and very few (actually, none that I can think of at the moment) were very good. However, I made this when I got back to the office and, overall, I thought it was a decent purchase. As far as convenience goes, I...

I had to stop at the store last night for some more cat food and, since my wife and I had already decided on leftover pinto bean soup for dinner, I ended up stopping by the freezer section in search of something for dessert. When I first saw this product, I gave serious consideration to leaving it in the freezer. This is because, while it looked good, I thought the $4.99 price was a little high, especially since it didn't look like it offered too much in quantity. However, after failing to decide on something else, I decided to pick up a bag of the salted caramel pretzel variety as well as the chocolate chip variety. We ended up having these, as planned, after dinner last night. And, after trying them, I'm not convinced buying them was the right decision. I'll start out by saying these weren't bad. In fact, I had one of the salted caramel ones and thought it had a good taste to it. It's just there really wasn't anything special about them either. A...

Since I had a little extra time while out on my walk, I decided to get a video of the heron as it was looking for something to snack on. I'm sorry for the video being a bit shaky. My arms were already getting tired from walking in the 90ish degree temps and, since I didn't have my tripod with, I had to hold the camera.

I nearly missed this heron as I was heading back to my car after my lunchtime walk today. It was very still and almost blended in to the shoreline behind it. Fortunately, I was able to get a photo of it without causing it to fly away first.

It was clear and calm out this morning so, when the sun got high enough for me to get a halfway decent shot, I decided to grab a photograph of Beaver Dam Lake before getting in my car and heading into the office.

I went for my morning walk along the lake this morning and spotted this pair of mallards washing themselves up near the shoreline. They originally gave me the evil eye and looked like they would swim or fly away. But, they ultimately stuck around long enough for me to get the photo.

I decided to walk up the street to Kwik Trip a short while ago, both because I skipped my lunchtime walk and because I was in the mood for a light snack (I had lunch kind of early this morning). I wasn't really sure what I was in the mood for when I got there and ended up considering quite a few different options. However, after some thought, I ended up purchasing this item. This was my first time trying this particular product and, because of that, I wasn't really sure what to expect from it (especially since I don't normally buy beef sticks). But, after trying it, I have to say I was impressed. One of the main reasons why I don't normally purchase products like this is the beef sticks I've had in the past were a little too "bold" for my tastes. While I'm not opposed to eating spicy foods in general, they do tend to upset my stomach and, because of that, I don't eat them as much as I used to. This product, however, did not fall into th...

Synopsis: A pair of siblings driving home from college and are stalked by an unknown driver who has hundreds of bodies hidden in the basement of an abandoned church. Who's in it? The movie stars Gina Philips , Justin Long , Jonathan Breck , Brandon Smith and Patricia Belcher . Review: This is a movie I've seen several times (including last night) and, even though it doesn't have quite the same impact it did the first time I saw it (and hadn't seen the surprise twists yet), is still a film I enjoy every time I watch it. I think the thing I like best about this horror movie is the way it keeps the "Creeper's" identity and motivation a mystery until toward the end of the film. When their stalker is first introduced, driving his seemingly-ancient truck, it's unclear who or what he is. At first, he seems perfectly human. But, as the movie progresses, there are clues that indicate he might be much more than that. I also like how he starts stal...

A different squirrel a short distance away from the one I posted earlier. This one had a short stare-down with me before deciding to climb up the tree and hide.

I didn't see too much when I was on my morning walk this morning. However, there were quite a few ducks swimming around and I was able to get a photo of this one as it swam past the pier I was standing on.

I haven't been getting too many squirrel photos lately (which should be surprising considering they are everywhere). But, I did manage to capture a photo of this squirrel as it peeked out from behind a tree while I was on my walk at lunch today.

This is something I normally save for colder evenings. But, Summer has dance class tonight and Azalea has skating lessons and, because of that, it'll be after 7 before my wife and I have a chance to sit down and have dinner. I figured pinto bean soup made in the slow cooker would be a nice alternative to frozen pizza. I also like the fact this is something I can make for less than $5. There's really only three necessary ingredients - one pound of pinto beans ($1.39), a ham steak ($2.39) and an onion (roughly 15 cents because I bought a bag of them). The pinto beans needed to be rinsed then soaked over night (there's supposedly a quick method of soaking them but I prefer this way) so I chopped up the ham steak and onions too and, this morning, the only thing I had to do was put them in the slow cooker with some water and turn it on low. It should be done by the time we can sit down to eat and I'm sure I'll have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Of course, my ...

It was a pretty pleasant day out today. The sun was out and the temps were in the high 70s, making it very enjoyable to go for my walk. Surprisingly, however, I really didn't see that much while I was out. I could hear plenty of birds, but they were all staying hidden in the tall grass and brush and, other than the usual frogs, turtles, etc., there wasn't as much to see as I would think would be the case on a nice day like today. Here are some of the photos I did manage to get:

*Just a quick note: I meant to write this Saturday but, as is often the case, life happens and I just didn't get an opportunity to do so until today. Synopsis: Amy Bruni and Adam Berry investigate the home of the infamous Lizzie Borden to help a tour guide who believes her grandparents are trying to communicate with her from beyond the grave and warn her about something. My Thoughts: 1. Even though I appreciate the fact they at least tried to give the investigation a new twist (looking for the tour guide's grandparents rather than trying to find Lizzie or her alleged victims), the whole Lizzie Borden thing has been overdone. And, in all honesty, any paranormal investigation done at a tourist attraction just seems like the investigators are just providing paid publicity. 2. What ever happened to paranormal investigators trying to prove the existence of ghosts by first making an effort to debunk? Back when the show Ghost Hunters was all the rage, high emfs and une...

It was still a little dark out when I went for my walk this morning (the sun was coming up, but it was still behind some trees). And, as a result of the shadows, it was a little difficult getting good photos. I did, however, manage to get a few shots off while walking along the shoreline:

In addition to the little turtle I spotted while walking on one of the trails, I was relatively successful finding other critters to photograph as well. Here are some of the photos I was able to take:

As a general rule, I avoid interfering with nature when I can. And, that was the case today too, when I came across this little guy (or girl) while on my walk. But, I must admit, I was tempted to help it out. It was quite a distance away from the closest body of water and had to climb up a hill to get to it. Instead, however, I decided to wish it luck and  let it continue its trek on its own. Of course, I still took a couple photos first.