So here I sit at work, contemplating important things. I have realized that I haven't named my car yet. The name "guapo" was good for awhile (good looking man), but I realized I think I want to give the G a proper name. So I figured, why not let my faithful blog readers have some input? I ask you to go to babynames.com and find a name that starts with G. I haven't figured out which sex my car should be, but I think it's a girl. If you have input, let me know. I think the G deserves a name that is strong and powerful, possibly a warrior, rock, something like that. Here are some good names thus far, starting with girl names.
Girls:
Giada
Guinevere
Gertrude
Geraldine
Grazia
Men:
Gavin
Ghazi
Gideon
Gunter/Gunther
Gunner
Guillermo
These are suggestions. Feel free to add input.
Back to work.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Gentlemen, start your playoff beards!
That's right. It's spring which means one thing. Flowers. False. It means it's hockey playoff time! With the onset of the hockey playoffs, I have begun my playoff beard. Fortunately, it is a far cry from 5 years ago when I first began playoff bearding. Back then I had the nickname "patches" for my inability to grow any sort of legit facial hair. I'd like to think my beard has some substance nowadays. I was reminded today that I am not married and therefore I celebrate that freedom by growing a sweet beard. The beard will remain until the Philadelphia Flyers lose or win the Stanley Cup, hopefully the latter. Since my camera is broken, I will rely on my friends with cameras to provide pictures of my beard for me to post here.
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend at one of Young Life's awesome camps, Rockbridge. There is a large retreat held there by the PCA church once a year for senior high school kids. My buddy Marty asked me to go and since I regretfully struggle to say no to Marty, I went. (Usually Marty convinces me to do pseudo-embarrassing things, thus my regrets for saying yes.) It was a great weekend, not only did I get to hang out with some awesome high school guys, but I also got to see some friends I don't see often. Among these was my roomate from college, Justin. He's really cool.
Last week, I mentioned the ridiculous people I see at the gym. I thought it couldn't get weirder than fanny packs and mouthguards, but I was wrong. There is a room at the gym where you can stretch, do abdominal exercises, or jump rope. I was doing abs in there and an older woman walked in. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then she took off her sneakers and replaced them with a pair of tall, clear heels. Now I don't know much about women but I don't think they are supposed to work out in heels. That doesn't makes sense. By this point I am really confused. She continues the weirdness by walking around in a pair of spandex pants and top. Needless to say I am beginning to rush through my workout, trying hard not to laugh. I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she was training in front of the multitude of mirrors in the room for a fitness competition and not a stripper routine, but I did not remain in the room long enough to ask any questions.
Now last week, I promised you a recipe. This recipe is courtesy of my favorite chef, Giada de Laurentis. This recipe is perfect if you have a bunch of extra potatoes around that are about to start sprouting. I hope you enjoy!
Gnocccgi with Thyme Butter Sauce
4-6 servings (54 Gnocchi)
2 baking potatoes, such as russets (about 12 oz each)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shaved Pecorino Romano or Parmesean cheese, for garnish
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
To make the gnocchi, pierce the potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave the potatoes on high until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. You can also bake the potatoes at 375 F for 50 minutes, or until tender. While the potatoes are still warm, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skin. (Or make potato skins.)Using a fork, mash the potato well. Stir in the egg, salt, and pepper. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and stir just until blended.
Scoop out a large spoonful of gnocchi dough. Roll each scoop on the work surface into about a 1/2 inch diameter rope. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough. Set the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet while you form the rest of the dough.
To make the thyme butter, melt the butter with the thyme leaves in a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted, about 2 min.
Working in 2 batches, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until they have all risen to the surface, about 3 minutes. Scoop the gnocchi into a colander eith a slotted spoon while you cook the second batch. Reheat the thyme butter sauce over low heat. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the skillet with the hot thyme butter and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper and toss again. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.
___________________________________________________________________
I hope you enjoy the above recipe. It is healthier without the butter so if you prefer, just make the gnocchi and use in any other gnocchi recipe. I hope you are doing well and I can't wait to speak to you. Have a great week!!!
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend at one of Young Life's awesome camps, Rockbridge. There is a large retreat held there by the PCA church once a year for senior high school kids. My buddy Marty asked me to go and since I regretfully struggle to say no to Marty, I went. (Usually Marty convinces me to do pseudo-embarrassing things, thus my regrets for saying yes.) It was a great weekend, not only did I get to hang out with some awesome high school guys, but I also got to see some friends I don't see often. Among these was my roomate from college, Justin. He's really cool.
Last week, I mentioned the ridiculous people I see at the gym. I thought it couldn't get weirder than fanny packs and mouthguards, but I was wrong. There is a room at the gym where you can stretch, do abdominal exercises, or jump rope. I was doing abs in there and an older woman walked in. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then she took off her sneakers and replaced them with a pair of tall, clear heels. Now I don't know much about women but I don't think they are supposed to work out in heels. That doesn't makes sense. By this point I am really confused. She continues the weirdness by walking around in a pair of spandex pants and top. Needless to say I am beginning to rush through my workout, trying hard not to laugh. I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she was training in front of the multitude of mirrors in the room for a fitness competition and not a stripper routine, but I did not remain in the room long enough to ask any questions.
Now last week, I promised you a recipe. This recipe is courtesy of my favorite chef, Giada de Laurentis. This recipe is perfect if you have a bunch of extra potatoes around that are about to start sprouting. I hope you enjoy!
Gnocccgi with Thyme Butter Sauce
4-6 servings (54 Gnocchi)
2 baking potatoes, such as russets (about 12 oz each)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shaved Pecorino Romano or Parmesean cheese, for garnish
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
To make the gnocchi, pierce the potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave the potatoes on high until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. You can also bake the potatoes at 375 F for 50 minutes, or until tender. While the potatoes are still warm, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skin. (Or make potato skins.)Using a fork, mash the potato well. Stir in the egg, salt, and pepper. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and stir just until blended.
Scoop out a large spoonful of gnocchi dough. Roll each scoop on the work surface into about a 1/2 inch diameter rope. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough. Set the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet while you form the rest of the dough.
To make the thyme butter, melt the butter with the thyme leaves in a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted, about 2 min.
Working in 2 batches, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until they have all risen to the surface, about 3 minutes. Scoop the gnocchi into a colander eith a slotted spoon while you cook the second batch. Reheat the thyme butter sauce over low heat. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the skillet with the hot thyme butter and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper and toss again. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.
___________________________________________________________________
I hope you enjoy the above recipe. It is healthier without the butter so if you prefer, just make the gnocchi and use in any other gnocchi recipe. I hope you are doing well and I can't wait to speak to you. Have a great week!!!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
It's been too long
I must apologize. It has been over 2 weeks since my last post. My bad. There is much to be blogged about. First, I am now officially not cool. I learned last week that my dad is the proud owner of a Wii. I haven't owned a video game system since the nintendo 64, back in like '97. Now my own dad, wearer of short jorts (jean shorts) that even I can't look at without making a face, is bowling/golfing/boxing like a pro. I guess I am out of the cool circle.
Another piece of exciting news is that the Peru trip is coming together nicely! I have put in for a full 6 days of leave from the shipyard in July which promises to be awesome. I can't wait to see how the Lord is working outside of my own little world. The trip is July 17-25. My original plans for summer vacation included a trip with my buddy Josh to the Colorado Rockies to hike and enjoy this gorgeous earth. It is amazing how city life and all that is included in that forces you to appreciate the God's creation. After learning about my church's plan to go on a trip to Peru, I decided maybe that would be a great way to spend vacation. Hopefully Josh's job will allow him to come.
Speaking of work, I have learned that the shipyard is a great place to people-watch. Mullets gallore, plenty of crazy beard/mustache/sideburn combinations, everybody with their different colored hardhats (mine's green), and not to mention people at the gym. Oh my. There are folks with fanny packs, headbands, and people who scream when they lift. I even saw a guy wearing a mouthguard the other day while lifting. Who needs to lift that hard that they need a mouthguard. Seriously? While I laugh at these men on the inside, most of them are twice my size and would break me in half instantaneously. I have added basketball to my workouts and there are crazy people there, too. Some guys take pickup basketball way too seriously. Accuse them of doing anything wrong and they yell and pout. It's really funny. I guess alot of those guys assume the NBA is the next logical step after playing Navy basketball.
In other sports news, my hockey team is now 1-4. I have yet to add anything productive to my team aside from effort. I have earned the nickname "Dino" after Dino Cicerelli who wasn't that good at hockey but tried real hard. Our next game is tomorrow, hopefully it will be a winning effort.
If you know me well, you know that my vocabulary stinks and I am a poor listener. To combat both of these inadequecies, I have started taking a dictionary to church. Jack (the pastor @ Trinity) is really smart and well read and uses alot of really big words I have never heard of before. John Herbst, I know you are a follower of this blog and appreciate a good dictionary. Bringing a dictionary to church was all well and good until Jack saw the dictionary one Sunday and asked me about it. I had to humiliate myself by telling him that I'm too stupid to follow him during church. A nice hearty slice of humble pie.
I also owe you a recipe this week, but it will have to wait. It's 4:30 and Giada's on the Food Network. That means I'm going to go watch that now. Bye!
Another piece of exciting news is that the Peru trip is coming together nicely! I have put in for a full 6 days of leave from the shipyard in July which promises to be awesome. I can't wait to see how the Lord is working outside of my own little world. The trip is July 17-25. My original plans for summer vacation included a trip with my buddy Josh to the Colorado Rockies to hike and enjoy this gorgeous earth. It is amazing how city life and all that is included in that forces you to appreciate the God's creation. After learning about my church's plan to go on a trip to Peru, I decided maybe that would be a great way to spend vacation. Hopefully Josh's job will allow him to come.
Speaking of work, I have learned that the shipyard is a great place to people-watch. Mullets gallore, plenty of crazy beard/mustache/sideburn combinations, everybody with their different colored hardhats (mine's green), and not to mention people at the gym. Oh my. There are folks with fanny packs, headbands, and people who scream when they lift. I even saw a guy wearing a mouthguard the other day while lifting. Who needs to lift that hard that they need a mouthguard. Seriously? While I laugh at these men on the inside, most of them are twice my size and would break me in half instantaneously. I have added basketball to my workouts and there are crazy people there, too. Some guys take pickup basketball way too seriously. Accuse them of doing anything wrong and they yell and pout. It's really funny. I guess alot of those guys assume the NBA is the next logical step after playing Navy basketball.
In other sports news, my hockey team is now 1-4. I have yet to add anything productive to my team aside from effort. I have earned the nickname "Dino" after Dino Cicerelli who wasn't that good at hockey but tried real hard. Our next game is tomorrow, hopefully it will be a winning effort.
If you know me well, you know that my vocabulary stinks and I am a poor listener. To combat both of these inadequecies, I have started taking a dictionary to church. Jack (the pastor @ Trinity) is really smart and well read and uses alot of really big words I have never heard of before. John Herbst, I know you are a follower of this blog and appreciate a good dictionary. Bringing a dictionary to church was all well and good until Jack saw the dictionary one Sunday and asked me about it. I had to humiliate myself by telling him that I'm too stupid to follow him during church. A nice hearty slice of humble pie.
I also owe you a recipe this week, but it will have to wait. It's 4:30 and Giada's on the Food Network. That means I'm going to go watch that now. Bye!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Man Weekend
It has been too long since I have last blogged. My sincere apologies. This past weekend was Man Weekend. That means that a bunch of men from college and beyond gathered together to celebrate March Madness and how awesome it is to be men. We played croquet, golf, watched college basketball, told sweet stories old and new, ate too much junk food, and much more. It was so good to be encouraged by how dear friends are living.
Speaking of manly things, hockey season has started. I'm in the big leagues now, no more roller hockey. Playing on ice is so great and even though I am terrible in comparison to my teammates, I have great fun and it gets me off of my fat butt. The Whalers (that's my team) are 1-3 with one of those losses coming in overtime. We have played the best teams in the league and are looking forward to easier teams and more wins. The Whalers are generally comprised of older men who talk about their wives, families and jobs. My teammates ensure there is never a shortage of post-game beer in the locker room. Needless to say I don't have a ton to add to post-game conversations, but I do my best to relate and communicate with this demographic.
I have spent some quality time with my sweetheart lately. I have changed her forehead (windshield), replaced an eyelid (wiper), given her a blood transfusion (oil change), and I plan an alveoli transplant (air filter, look up alveoli for yourself) within the next few weeks. I decided to change oil at the shipyard's hobby shop which is a garage where you can use a hydraulic lift to put your vehicle real high so you can walk under it. I met a man there who had the sweetest mexi-mullet/mustache combo I have ever seen.
Speaking of the shipyard, it has been a good few weeks, save for today. If you have been reading about recent adventures, you will recall a man I named "Sweats". Sweats decided it would be a good idea to fart in the face of my friend Kevin and I today. I usually laugh at farts, but that was really gross. We have been doing some really good work on the boat and all of that culminated Monday when we completed the most important part of the ship's time in the shipyard. I learned last week there is a man at work named Bruce Wayner. Take that "r" away and you have Batman. I hope he wears a batman costume on halloween. I also met a guy on the boat who is from Lee County, VA. It was refreshing to meet someone representing southwest VA.
Finally, we all know that white people love to make black friends. I am no exception. I play basketball before my workouts at the gym and I met a guy named Fingley who reminds me of LeBron James. He can dunk, shoot the J, drain 3s like it's his job, and block everything. I played 21 with Fingley and 6 others before we played 4 on 4. Fingley dominated 21 and therefore got first pick for 4 on 4. Now keep in mind that all the players were exponentially better at basketball than me. Most were taller, all could jump higher, and everybody was faster. Guess who Fingley chose first? ME. The white kid who only knows how to play defence. Defence must win championchips because we rolled through 4 straight teams and Fingley's favorite passing option was yours truly. It was like Stockton and Malone/Jordan and Pippen. The chemistry was flawless.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are well. I look forward to catching up with you soon. Have a great week!
Speaking of manly things, hockey season has started. I'm in the big leagues now, no more roller hockey. Playing on ice is so great and even though I am terrible in comparison to my teammates, I have great fun and it gets me off of my fat butt. The Whalers (that's my team) are 1-3 with one of those losses coming in overtime. We have played the best teams in the league and are looking forward to easier teams and more wins. The Whalers are generally comprised of older men who talk about their wives, families and jobs. My teammates ensure there is never a shortage of post-game beer in the locker room. Needless to say I don't have a ton to add to post-game conversations, but I do my best to relate and communicate with this demographic.
I have spent some quality time with my sweetheart lately. I have changed her forehead (windshield), replaced an eyelid (wiper), given her a blood transfusion (oil change), and I plan an alveoli transplant (air filter, look up alveoli for yourself) within the next few weeks. I decided to change oil at the shipyard's hobby shop which is a garage where you can use a hydraulic lift to put your vehicle real high so you can walk under it. I met a man there who had the sweetest mexi-mullet/mustache combo I have ever seen.
Speaking of the shipyard, it has been a good few weeks, save for today. If you have been reading about recent adventures, you will recall a man I named "Sweats". Sweats decided it would be a good idea to fart in the face of my friend Kevin and I today. I usually laugh at farts, but that was really gross. We have been doing some really good work on the boat and all of that culminated Monday when we completed the most important part of the ship's time in the shipyard. I learned last week there is a man at work named Bruce Wayner. Take that "r" away and you have Batman. I hope he wears a batman costume on halloween. I also met a guy on the boat who is from Lee County, VA. It was refreshing to meet someone representing southwest VA.
Finally, we all know that white people love to make black friends. I am no exception. I play basketball before my workouts at the gym and I met a guy named Fingley who reminds me of LeBron James. He can dunk, shoot the J, drain 3s like it's his job, and block everything. I played 21 with Fingley and 6 others before we played 4 on 4. Fingley dominated 21 and therefore got first pick for 4 on 4. Now keep in mind that all the players were exponentially better at basketball than me. Most were taller, all could jump higher, and everybody was faster. Guess who Fingley chose first? ME. The white kid who only knows how to play defence. Defence must win championchips because we rolled through 4 straight teams and Fingley's favorite passing option was yours truly. It was like Stockton and Malone/Jordan and Pippen. The chemistry was flawless.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are well. I look forward to catching up with you soon. Have a great week!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A great week in sports
This past week has been fun. It is always good to see the beginning of March Madness come together with great games to watch. This week was also the first Bristol nascar race of the season and although I didn't watch it, I get excited for it.
My trip to Blacksburg was fantastic last weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with my family, especially my sister Bam, her husband Clint, and their great kids Connor and Jenna. I got to play with them and I didn't have to change a diaper! That's win-win. I also got to see many great friends, both current hokies and hokie alumni. If I was fortunate enough to see your smiling face last weekend, thanks so much for making my weekend awesome!
I realized this week that I forgot to mention a fun item about Sweats. If you recall previous blog entries, Sweats is the guy I work with who sweats perfusely, no matter the ambient temperature or effort exherted on his part. Sweats has a habit of playing games during work. This is not abnormal for government employees, but this is a middle aged man who is playing the game known to most as Taipei, where the object is to match tiles which are in a stack. The game has very childlike colors such as bright greens, pinks, yellows and oranges. When asked why he chose this game, he told me about how his daughter plays an online child version of the Sims, and by playing this game he earns points for her so she can purchase new virtual clothes, houses, cars, etc. Picture now a man at a shipyard playing a game designed for an 11 year old girl. Now laugh appropriately.
I also learned this week that government employees do not recognize the name Uncle Sam. Apparently he is known as Uncle Sugar, because of his habit of giving me money every two weeks. So if I ever mention a man named Uncle Sugar, I am not referring to some creepy uncle who you have never met.
I have now decided to make what is known as a blog flashback. This feature will appear about once a month. It is with regards to things that have happened in the distant past in my life which are extremely funny. This week's blog flashback is Leonard, the fellow who I spent a summer working with on air conditioners. For those of you who haven't heard of Leonard, he is about 55 with long hair and a head-turning gotee. He smoked all the time and since we were a two man team, I got to hang out with him while he smoked. Moral of the story, if you don't smoke, smoke breaks are super lame.
My trip to Blacksburg was fantastic last weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with my family, especially my sister Bam, her husband Clint, and their great kids Connor and Jenna. I got to play with them and I didn't have to change a diaper! That's win-win. I also got to see many great friends, both current hokies and hokie alumni. If I was fortunate enough to see your smiling face last weekend, thanks so much for making my weekend awesome!
I realized this week that I forgot to mention a fun item about Sweats. If you recall previous blog entries, Sweats is the guy I work with who sweats perfusely, no matter the ambient temperature or effort exherted on his part. Sweats has a habit of playing games during work. This is not abnormal for government employees, but this is a middle aged man who is playing the game known to most as Taipei, where the object is to match tiles which are in a stack. The game has very childlike colors such as bright greens, pinks, yellows and oranges. When asked why he chose this game, he told me about how his daughter plays an online child version of the Sims, and by playing this game he earns points for her so she can purchase new virtual clothes, houses, cars, etc. Picture now a man at a shipyard playing a game designed for an 11 year old girl. Now laugh appropriately.
I also learned this week that government employees do not recognize the name Uncle Sam. Apparently he is known as Uncle Sugar, because of his habit of giving me money every two weeks. So if I ever mention a man named Uncle Sugar, I am not referring to some creepy uncle who you have never met.
I have now decided to make what is known as a blog flashback. This feature will appear about once a month. It is with regards to things that have happened in the distant past in my life which are extremely funny. This week's blog flashback is Leonard, the fellow who I spent a summer working with on air conditioners. For those of you who haven't heard of Leonard, he is about 55 with long hair and a head-turning gotee. He smoked all the time and since we were a two man team, I got to hang out with him while he smoked. Moral of the story, if you don't smoke, smoke breaks are super lame.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Correction
Apparently, the "I forgot" post below has a faulty link. Please try this one instead. Andy Samburg is in this, he is one of the funniest guys I've ever seen.
http://www.jiggystudio.com/play.php?vid=1519
You might laugh more if you go here first:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g
http://www.jiggystudio.com/play.php?vid=1519
You might laugh more if you go here first:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g
Friday, March 13, 2009
End of an Era
It's over. The mullet is gone. I figured that after 22 days, I needed to look like a normal human being, not a fervant supporter of the '80s. It was totally sweet for a time, much better than last year's. It flared out in the back and drew alot of attention.
Work has been good, it is nice working 6-2 as I am able to go the gym afterwards and still have time in the evening with friends. As I mentioned before, I am on the USS Boise. We are essentially changing out a scrubber, which is a fairly fascinating process. I am excited about the VT/UNC game, as I'm watching play by play stats on ESPN right now. Too bad we don't have TVs while at work. Bummer. I'm hoping VT can pull out a win and maybe make it to the big dance.
I am headed to Blacksburg after I get off work, which promises to be a great weekend. I've decided to continue this blog at home which has been difficult due to my computer having an aneurysm. Anyway, I've decided to include a recipe every other week that I have made and can personally recommend. This week is Emeril Lagasse's Jambalaya:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cajun-jambalaya-recipe/index.html
I hope you enjoy it. Very cajun. I'm off to Blacksburg! I hope you have a great weekend!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
i forgot
And now for your entertainment, http://www.yagoo.ro/play.php?vid=1453. Justin Timberlake and Andy Samburg being dancers in "All the Single Ladies." Great.
graveyard
So it's 3:30 am and I'm bored at work. Time for blogging. I'm working one more week of nightshift in order to secure a long stint of normal hours (6 am to 2 pm). Most people like the beach because it's warm, but we received over an inch of snow earlier this week and it hasn't been above freezing. I'm on a new boat this week, the USS Boise. I'm on shift with my friends Dan and Kevin. Dan is a fellow hokie so we always have great stuff to talk about while at work.
I will be making a trip to Blacksburg next weekend and I am looking forward to some rich time with great friends and family. Another trip I will be making this summer will be to Peru with my church where I will be either helping out in an orphanage, teaching english, or helping in medical stuff. I am very excited about this trip and as I learn more, I will be sure to include that info here.
This week I had the priveledge of tutoring again in Norfolk. I helped a young man named Sincere. We did homework and then made paper airplanes. Awesome. Back to work. I hope you are well.
I will be making a trip to Blacksburg next weekend and I am looking forward to some rich time with great friends and family. Another trip I will be making this summer will be to Peru with my church where I will be either helping out in an orphanage, teaching english, or helping in medical stuff. I am very excited about this trip and as I learn more, I will be sure to include that info here.
This week I had the priveledge of tutoring again in Norfolk. I helped a young man named Sincere. We did homework and then made paper airplanes. Awesome. Back to work. I hope you are well.
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