It's Electric!

I'm no electrician, by any stretch of the imagination, but I really don't think a plug is supposed to look like this.
As a temperary solution to our broken AC, we decided to put a few window units in the house. The only trouble was, when they were both plugged in and running, something happened. I say something because I really didn't know what it was I just know that the power to the bathroom, my living room TV wall, and the window wall just stopped working. Normally I would say a breaker flipped but when I went to check it out, it hadn't moved. I double checked it and triple checked it to no avail. Then I realized I had installed GFI in the bathroom and that was the problem. The trouble was the GFI wouldn't reset. I was thoroughly stumped. As I said, I'm no electrician. But... I do know how to read and follow directions so I hit the web and brushed up on some basic electricity knowledge.
After a few days of reading online and tinkering with the wires in the wall, I finally found out that the newer GFI's won't reset if their not receiving a full 120 volts which meant that somewhere I had a short. Reading more, I found that multimeters were a great way to track down a short. Turns out it's a pretty handy thing to have around besides just checking batteries. So I went to every plug and switch in the circuit to find that my ground was completing the circuit, not my neutral. So I went to every plug receptical testing and disconnecting until I found the culprit: my outside receptacle. To say the least I was rather proud of myself. And to top it off, I only managed to shock my self once. ;)
I treated myself to the last of the rice atole. Man, I love that stuff. I don't know what brought it up but I had a major craving for it and decided to find out how to make it. I remember being treated to this, every now and then, for breakfast when I was a kid. Lots of fond memories sitting at the breakfast table with a warm bowl of rice atole and some buttered toast in front of me. So I got the recipe from my Dad! Turns out me and Olivia are the only ones in the house who like it. Oh well, more for us! Here's the recipe my Dad and Bertha sent me...

Dad & Bertha's Rice Atole Ingredients 4 Cups of water 9 Cups of milk 2 Cups of long grain rice 1 Cup of sugar 3 Cinnamon sticks 1. Wash and rinse rice. 2. In a large pot place 4 cups of water with 2 cups of rice and cook at medium heat for about 10 minutes or until water evaporates. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. 3. In a separate large pot place 9 cups of milk, 1 cup of sugar and cooked rice; cook for approximately 30 minutes at medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Lower heat if the pot begins to over boil. You may need to add more milk if evaporation occurs too quickly. Sugar and milk can be added to your own taste. Plate is topped with ground cinnamon and raisins. I like to add butter and let it melt in the center of the plate. I also enjoy eating with bread and butter or biscuits. This recipe is for a large quantity so you may think about cutting it in half. Bertha worked on this recipe which is easier and quicker to make and wastes less milk because you are cooking the rice before adding it to the milk. I used to cook the rice in the milk and it would waste a lot of milk due to evaporation. Bertha also found this video which may help a little but it is in Spanish: http://sclipo.com/video/como-hacer-arroz-con-leche

For those of you who are fans of Matthew Stover, check out his next book. Caine Black Knife. Can we say bad motha fucker? I'm chomping at the bit already for this one.