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Corned Beef Round – St. Patrick’s Day
Posted by: | March 16, 2021
| 16 Comments
| Costco Blog, Kitchen
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Created March 17, 2017. Updated March 16, 2021.

Top of the morning to you.

I’ve been making a special St. Patrick’s Day dinner since 2013 (9 years as of 2021). I always buy Bill Bailey’s Irish Brand Corned Beef Brisket from Costco. In 2020, they switched from briskets to round cut. Personally, I didn’t notice the difference between brisket and round. I enjoy their brisket (Round) very much. Costco always stocks an extra amount of Corned Beef Rounds from late February to the beginning of March.

The traditional cooking method is slow cooking for 10-12 hours. I set my slow cooker in the morning before I go to work. The dinner would be ready when I come home from work.

Since 2020, Costco also sells pre-cooked Corned Beef Brisket that you can microwave for about 20 minutes. So, if you don’t like to cook, you can microwave. Personally, I prefer slow cook. I enjoy the cooking experience. It looks like the microwave version is gaining popularity. My visitor reported she enjoyed precooked round very much.

Bill Bailey's Corned Beef Round, formerly brisket
March 13, 2021. Bill Bailey’s Corned Beef Round, formerly Brisket, with Cabbage and potatoes

The slow cooking method is simple. I put the meat and water to cover the meat and cook it low for 10-12 hours. I put cabbages in the pot later (last 2 hours or so). And I boil potatoes.

Some people soak the meat in cold water over-night to take the salt out. I think that’s an excellent idea to promote a healthy diet. But that will change the taste that Bill Bailey originally intended. So, I follow the direction on the package.

I like to eat my corned beef brisket (round) with juice. I don’t know how authentic this is, but I like it.

To me, it is frustrating to think that I may never get to eat an authentic home-cooked Irish meal, prepared by real Irish people in the real Irish household. The same goes with real home-cooked Chinese food, real home-cooked Cajun food, real Texas BBQ, authentic soul food, etc… I am very frustrated about this. I wish I can make friends everywhere so I can visit them and enjoy their cooking.

Costco Corned Beef Brisket, Bill Bailey
Brisket
Corned Beef Brisket Costco

CLA and weight loss – 135 days experiment
Posted by: | March 16, 2021
| No Comments
| Fitness, Personal
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Quick update. Just the fact. No opinion. Your results may vary.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) – is a dietary supplement that’s supposed to burn fat. Costco sells 2 kinds of CLA pills.

I am 5’7″. My normally weigh is 158 lb. I wear a size 40 suit jacket and 31-inch waist pants. I am a little wider on top. Although I haven’t been to the gym in 20 years, I can comfortably do 10 pull-ups in competition standard (no kicking, no swinging – no cheating).

I gained 6 pounds during the pandemic lockdown. When I weighed myself 165 lb on September 2020, I bought some CLA pills.

  • I took CLA pills for 45 days and lost a few pounds.
  • Next, I took different CLA pills for 45 days and lost another few pounds.
  • After that, I didn’t take any pills but watched my diet for 45 days, and lost additional few pounds.
  • During that 135 days, there were no changes in my physical activities.
  • During that 135 days, I thought about losing weight a lot. So, I watched my diet more than usual.
  • Then the holiday season came. My weight went up (160) and down (157) after the holiday season.
  • Currently, I don’t take any fat burners, and I keep my weight at 156 lb.
  • Overall, I lost 2 pounds after 12 months of pandemic lockdown. I lost more than I gained.
  • I plan to bring my body weight down a few more pounds with no supplements. I would like 155 lb or under.
  • For this experiment, I made sure I didn’t work out.

This experiment doesn’t prove much. Everyone has a unique body and a unique scenario. I just thought some people might find it interesting.

November 24, 2020. The end of the 135-day experiment & the beginning of the holiday season (massive eating). I hit 152.5 lb once, but I didn’t maintain that weight.

January & February 2021
Posted by: | February 28, 2021
| No Comments
| Personal
John
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Caetano Veloso Menino Deus
I don’t know the language – I just like the song
My music seems mellow because I am here at night or when I relax. Also, I am old – 13 years older than when I started this blog in 2008.

Personal update

January and February are the fastest months of the year. I just put away my Christmas coffee mug, and I saw Jasmine blossoms in my front yard. So I reluctantly took down Christmas decorations and tossed them in the living room. They are still lying in the living room.

It’s been 11 months since the pandemic lockdown started. I live alone, so the lockdown doesn’t affect my situation logistically. I am more isolated that I rarely use my vocal cord. The pandemic hurt me financially because I was helping people. I still send money to my relative, but I send considerably less amount now. After being very careful, I was able to meet my financial goal for 2020. My goal is to maximize contribution to my 401K & HSA account ($30k total).

I quit cable TV last year. Now I pay $37.49 a month for 3 TV streaming providers. They are…

  • Hulu (no ads) – $11:99
  • Philo – $20
  • Locast – $5.50. I don’t get any local TV off HD antenna.

$37.49 still seems too expensive to me.

Christmas is coming to Costco in 6 months.

See you in March. 🙂

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ssa.gov – US Social Security website
Posted by: | February 20, 2021
| 2 Comments
| Personal
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This blog post is for US residents only.

ssa.gov is a US government social security website. It shows how much you made in the past and shows how much social security benefit you will receive when you retire.

Depends on how long you live and how much you made in the past, you might receive well over $100k. It is very important that you have the access to your own social security data. Knowledge is power. This website provides me with a vital piece of information pertaining to my retirement.

I strongly recommend everyone to register at ssa.gov. I hope this will give you a fresh outlook on your retirement and financing.

In the past, it was absolutely impossible for me to register at ssa.gov. They would ask security questions that were impossible to answer. So, I gave up on registration.

Then, they recently updated their website with the new registration process. Finally, I could register on the website. Now I have a better feel for my retirement. I can check and make sure there are no errors in my records. Also, I will know if somebody uses my social security number to get a job – or even worse (I cannot think of any specific scenarios – but I am sure there are nightmare stories).

I think I will retire at 70 years old. But if I can, I would like to retire sooner and work part-time doing office work. I enjoy office work. Everything about office work is sexy and exciting. I enjoy dressing up for work. I enjoy waking up early when I feel sleepy and miserable. I feel alive doing all that, and it’s so much fun. Life is fun. I hope you feel that way, too.

I am still here, just busy
Posted by: | February 10, 2021
| No Comments
| Computer
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Hi, I am well and doing good. I’ve been busy last 10 days. One thing after another… with some boring stuff.

My computer was dying, so I had to rebuild one fast. I’ve been building computers since the 90s. I built my current computer 9 years ago. I usually run my computer 24 hours a day, and this machine didn’t let me down. It was with me every day from a government-subsidized apartment to a three-bedroom house. It broke down a few times, but I found quick fixes to keep it running. You can see a wire holding a fan (picture).

Computer I built in 2012

Officially killing my computer was bittersweet. There was a weird connection between me and my computer. As I opened the computer, I could feel the joy and happiness of the time I was building this machine. I was poor, but I was happier. Everything was more exciting and more fun 9 years ago. I had to watch every penny, but DANG, it was so much fun.

Building a computer is a straightforward process. High school kids build computers for fun. But there is a possibility of something going wrong. I was lucky this time. My new computer was up and running in 4 hours. I like this computer. It’s very good and fast. I look forward to getting older with this computer.

I kept the case, so the computer looks the same from the outside.

Now I need to catch up on some Costco blogs. I will regroup and get back to you soon. Please take care.

New computer ready to go inside the case – Feb 2021
Old HP Printer
Posted by: | January 14, 2021
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| Computer
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A printer is a vital tool to conduct business or take care of personal matters. Even if you are just a casual computer user, there will be a time you need a printer. When that time comes, a working printer will save your day.

I have an HP laser printer (Laserjet P1005) sitting behind a computer monitor.

  • I bought the printer in 2008 and started to use it in 2010. It’s been reliable for over 10 years so far. I like this printer.
  • The printer was $50 (free shipping) brand new at Newegg. It was super cheap.
  • It only prints in black. To me, a color printer means extra hassle. Also, I spent an unjustifiable amount of money on color cartridges in the past. There was no “refill” back then. I will never own a color printer.
  • For this printer, I spend $30 on toner, and they last 2-3 years. I keep 2 backup toners, just in case.
  • Related blogs:
Happy New Year – 2021
Posted by: | December 31, 2020
| No Comments
| Personal
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Happy new year.

What I enjoyed the most in 2020 was driving my convertible to the beach.

I never meditate or do yoga. But I guess what I do is meditate. I sit on the beach for 20-30 minutes, and I drive back home, overwhelmed with positive energy.

I always find something to enjoy, with or without money. That’s how I found the joy of Costco shopping. 10-12 years ago, I used to go to Costco just to look around and get a hot dog. I enjoyed that time so much.

In 2021, I wish to continue enjoying my slow and boring life. Nothing else matters. Everything will fall into its place.

Please be safe. God bless those who are suffering. We all send positive energy to each other.

Below is my last Sunset on the beach in 2020, on December 26, 2020. I will keep in touch soon. Happy new year.