As of this morning we are no longer allowed to have MP3 players on the floor while the store is closed. Apparently listening to music is "multi-tasking" and we are "not very efficient multi-taskers." So no shutting the world out for the first two hours of my day until the store meets shelving productivity standards.
Right.
Somebody get me out of here.
...and today's stupid customer question is: "Where is your non-fiction section?"
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
DIY gurus? er....perhaps not
Flushed with our past success in building bookshelves, a wine rack and other household items we decided to embark on the first of many woodworking projects we've been wanting to do outside when the weather got nice. So yesterday we took advantage of the sunshine and got out the materials we had purchased back in January or February when we conceived the idea of building a wall wine rack for Joe's dad for his upcoming birthday. It's not meant to hold a lot, but it's based on a design that my Dad did for himself about 15 years ago and that we liked.I'm not sure we fully understood the amount of work we were taking on, but just figuring out and drawing the measurements took a couple of beers, a calculator and at least an hour. Then we got to the cutting, I took on the chop saw and the dowels (that is, er...also, ear plugs and safety glasses-sexy sexy)
and Joe the skill saw and the body of the rack. Joe also used the jigsaw to create some nice curves in the outside corners. So chopping and sawing done we were ready to drill holes.
I have to say I am somewhat enamored with the drill bit that lets you bore a 1 1/2 inch hole through a piece of wood. That is, at least I was enamored. It's a tough fucker to operate and I think I might have killed the project with a huge gouge that I took out of the side of the board. But the shavings are cool.We sanded some of the dowels and the inside of the drill holes (try not to picture it) and then called it a day. We'll see what kind of sanding it'll take to take the gouge down from heinous to noticeable and then decide how to press on from there. But that's next weekend stuff.
I also spent some time on the side of the house digging up our pumpkin mounds and mixing the clay dirt with some topsoil so that there would be better drainage and so seedlings could actually push through the earth instead of flounder. I also planted some poppies to bring in the bees, so we can actually have pumpkins. And...we'll see how it goes, but we put in some sugar snap peas in the front yard near the cast iron decorative supports on the house (and the railing) to see if we can get them to climb and grow there. The plum tree in the front of our house is in full bloom now, but this is what it looked like just a few days ago: It's just gorgeous and I'm excited for the fruit, we were only just able to sample some last year in July before the season ended, so we should be rolling in the plums this year (according to our neighbors who also have a plum tree, they make excellent crisps).
Though the forecast called for rain on Saturday morning, we ventured out with Andy on a short bike ride. Joe switched on the cog set and wheels for my bike, so I got the super racing wheels and an added boost of confidence. We left from our house and did a loop to the northwest, stopping for a train and a bit of de-layering (as the sun was shining). I felt much better on the bike this weekend and even managed to keep up with the boys.
We went 15 miles and kept a good speed pretty much the whole time. I also biked to and from yoga this week, a habit that I plan to continue-unless it's raining, wet stuck on clothing yoga seems highly unappealing.At least biking and this wine rack project will keep us busy while we anxiously await the better part of spring so we can plant more veggies, herbs and flowers.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Ethanol vs. Tortillas
I was listening to NPR this morning and they were interviewing the executive director of Shell Oil company about the use of ethanol and it's possible effects on world food supplies. It was a broad sort of interview and they only touched on this aspect very briefly, but it sparked my interest. We have a rotting surplus of corn in this country. So I don't really see how world food SUPPLY would differ. Shell is arguing that ethanol producers should use non food based agents that contain cellulose so that the supply and demand curves on food products do not shift dramatically.
The executive director also noted that the price of corn has doubled since Bush's announcement concerning ethanol and that it concerns them that basic foods could become unattainable, i.e.: tortillas. What is not being addressed is the problem of allocation and distribution.
As Micheal Pollan discusses in his most recent book, corn is a major part of every human diet, it comes from animal products (cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys and farmed fish (via feed), sweetened products (via corn syrup and it's high fructose version, processed foods (via corn flour and leavening, distribution.lethicin etc.), corn products (i.e.: chips, tortillas), beer (adjunct) and just corn itself. It's also in a ton of nonfood items from disposable diapers to cleansers. The price of corn is now so low that in the US the government gives subsidies to farmers who grow it ($19 billion in US taxpayer dollars each year), and the majority of it sits in grain elevators. So we feed industry and animals corn and we produce more than we can consume in the U.S. There seems to be a problem when we're sitting on all of this corn not to mention feeding it to animals when millions of people are already starving; all of this prior to more corn going to ethanol production.
eh?
The executive director also noted that the price of corn has doubled since Bush's announcement concerning ethanol and that it concerns them that basic foods could become unattainable, i.e.: tortillas. What is not being addressed is the problem of allocation and distribution.
As Micheal Pollan discusses in his most recent book, corn is a major part of every human diet, it comes from animal products (cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys and farmed fish (via feed), sweetened products (via corn syrup and it's high fructose version, processed foods (via corn flour and leavening, distribution.lethicin etc.), corn products (i.e.: chips, tortillas), beer (adjunct) and just corn itself. It's also in a ton of nonfood items from disposable diapers to cleansers. The price of corn is now so low that in the US the government gives subsidies to farmers who grow it ($19 billion in US taxpayer dollars each year), and the majority of it sits in grain elevators. So we feed industry and animals corn and we produce more than we can consume in the U.S. There seems to be a problem when we're sitting on all of this corn not to mention feeding it to animals when millions of people are already starving; all of this prior to more corn going to ethanol production.
eh?
Saturday, March 10, 2007
...are you there spring?
Garlic! Our winter crop is looking awesome from this side of the soil...we'll see what's beneath soon enough; if things go well we're going to have about 50 heads of garlic. Vampire warding braids shall be given to all :)
We've also noticed a lot of these pretty purple flowers poking up too, whether wild or from previous tenants, they were lovely to see as a first sign of potential spring.
I am anxious to get more seeds in the ground, as this will be our first 'yard garden' instead of container garden. We've got big plans and probably more seeds than the yard can feasibly take. But we'll see how it goes. Our biggest plot of potential planting ground is were our gas pipeline used to be. (You know, the one that was leaking when we first moved in?) So we're hesitant to plant anything we want to eat there- so we're going to try for some jack 'o lanterns and wildflowers and see how it goes. It's too bad too, because not only is it the biggest spot, it's the sunniest. Perhaps next year we can make a giant container and fill it with dirt--sigh, it just seems to defeat the purpose (or my 'yard garden' spirit).
Quasi enjoyed some more time outside as we collected an
organized the debris from the apple tree pruning that Joe did last week (while it was hailing). C'mon spring, any time now. We also burnt off the Christmas tree that someone dumped in our yard back in January. Grinch style. If only I had a shot of that, Joe shoving the dead tree foot by foot into our outdoor fireplace... "you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch."
We also got a bike ride in over the weekend and the sexiness of my cold weather biking gear is more than enough to be begging for warmer weather. It was great to get on a lighter, faster bike and although I think 25 miles was a bit much for the inaugural 'back in the saddle again' ride, it was fun (if not entirely grueling and painful). Yoga this week was a good reminder that I haven't entirely recovered, as my quads screamed through the lunges.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
amazing what you find when...
Well, since we've added a new bike to the household (pictures forthcoming - if it stops snowing outside) we needed to make room in our little shed out back.
When we first moved in we didn't really pay much attention to the inventory of 'left items' but just found a place for our tools and bikes and other outdoor gear that had usually been housed in a linen closet or the bedroom of our previous apartment residences.
Upon a surface inspection of the storage area during the summer, we found some undesirables laying about and so slowly got rid of the multiple artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides that had been left by the previous renters/owners.
So this past weekend, we wanted to shuffle things around and hang our mountain bikes and clean up a bit, a twenty minute job turned into three hours of interesting work. Half of the shelving in the shed is given over to cans of paint, some of which look like they were used on the house and others of dubious origin, so they should probably stay, and we don't really need the space, so I just shoved them all to the same side of the shelves and went about other things. Random things.
I think I pulled about 50 nails out that looked like someone threw them at the wall and pounded them in where they made dents. This item here, however, takes the cake. I found this on the shelf covered in sawdust-
er...yeah. It's like a metaphor for the people who used to live here.
In any event we hung the bikes and spent a rainy day inside the shed and under the covered patio embarrassing Quasi (and ourselves I suppose).
He hasn't quite got the walking part down, it's more of a crawl and sniff and jowl things and roll around and then crawl some more. But I get a big kick out of it.
When we first moved in we didn't really pay much attention to the inventory of 'left items' but just found a place for our tools and bikes and other outdoor gear that had usually been housed in a linen closet or the bedroom of our previous apartment residences.
Upon a surface inspection of the storage area during the summer, we found some undesirables laying about and so slowly got rid of the multiple artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides that had been left by the previous renters/owners.
So this past weekend, we wanted to shuffle things around and hang our mountain bikes and clean up a bit, a twenty minute job turned into three hours of interesting work. Half of the shelving in the shed is given over to cans of paint, some of which look like they were used on the house and others of dubious origin, so they should probably stay, and we don't really need the space, so I just shoved them all to the same side of the shelves and went about other things. Random things.
I think I pulled about 50 nails out that looked like someone threw them at the wall and pounded them in where they made dents. This item here, however, takes the cake. I found this on the shelf covered in sawdust-
er...yeah. It's like a metaphor for the people who used to live here.
In any event we hung the bikes and spent a rainy day inside the shed and under the covered patio embarrassing Quasi (and ourselves I suppose).
He hasn't quite got the walking part down, it's more of a crawl and sniff and jowl things and roll around and then crawl some more. But I get a big kick out of it.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Snow and Ice
Ah, nothing like a snowy day to sit by the fire and read a book or five. Just enough snow to be pleasant and enjoyable. - also a couple of weeks ago so any unpleasantness of being disrupted by snow has been replaced with the unpleasantness of being at work.I have found, over the past few years that being on vacation during this period of cold weather has been really quite fabulous. Not being in a position to flee the country this season, I expected to curl up and read the cold days away. Not so.
So, just some photos of what I'm giving up a warm cozy reading spot for on my days off :)
"Ice Hiking" out on the GorgeThursday, December 28, 2006
In the money...
So the metro area has begun work on a new initiative to make cold days less miserable for the homeless population by offering day centers and public restroom access. However, on the law enforcement side they are attempting to keep the sidewalks and "high traffic" areas free of squatters by enforcing a no sitting/laying/squatting on the sidewalk or you'll be fined, up to $250.00 rule. Giving out fines to homeless people. Right.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Irony?
On my way home from work today the person (of jobless or homeless or whatever status) who stood in the cold real estate of the I-5 North exit ramp today was holding a sign that had been fashioned from a jobdango.com advert. I got a kick out of that.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Industrializing of Organic Foods
"Is what whole foods did for the "branding" of organic good for local/regional farms or did it co-opt them?"
So I wrote a lovely response to a totally different question (below), thinking about how the interaction between Whole Foods and local farms has been for the farms...
But now I think what you're really asking is if making organic more mainstream and available from a large conglomerate has hurt local farmers? I would say yes. (Although I think the growing number of CSA's is combating it, as well as the increase in farmers markets and attendance). The mainstreaming of organic has created (dare I say it) the bastard child industrial organic; so Whole Foods making large quantities of organic produce and other products available created a demand spike and these large farms move in to create the supply. Even traditionally industrial produce companies are coming out with organic lines, i.e.: Chiquita, Dole, del Monte. The story is the same with any industrial agriculture- get big or get out. I think that Whole Foods compromises it's vision when it tries to be like other grocers and have 'seasonless' supply (berries, peppers, bananas; in Jan.), organic tv dinners and other various organic processed foods. I would say my organic coming of age was in the arms of Whole Foods, at first I was dazzled by the organic goodies and fresh produce, but looking back just because it's labeled organic doesn't mean it's good for you or the Earth. (but I wouldn't say Whole Foods is the culprit, just one of the many forces that are driving this continuing industrialization of agriculture)
Plus, in my experience volunteering at a small organic farm a few miles from our apartment in DC, even the large scale certification of organic has hurt small farms. The process of becoming USDA certified and maintaining certification is so costly and intensive that it wasn't worth it for this farm to become certified, so they changed their description from Organic to 'Eco-ganic.' The USDA certified practices are better suited to large farms; the owner of the farm picked up a tomato and explained that in order to be compliant she would have to be able to track when it was planted, harvested and which field it came from. This farm was run by herself and her husband with a smattering of help from their kids, grandkids and volunteers, there's no way they could have that kind of precision.
And you'll notice that grocers carrying organic produce carry certified organics.
---the other answer--
On face, I would say Whole Foods local produce initiative has been okay for the farmers it serves. Although farmers markets and attendance at markets is high, having a guaranteed buyer (like a big name grocery store) is good. From what I know about how Whole Foods does it, they allow individual stores to connect with the local farmers, so it's not the corporate office calling the shots. And as far as I can tell, it goes from the farmer to the store, so no middle-man, which means more money to the farmer. Also, Whole Foods charges a premium on their organic foods (as was noted by Scott) so, it stands to reason that the farmer is also receiving a better price for their goods. I do not get the feeling they've become part of the industrial food chain by selling to a large grocer. They do not (seem) exist to sell to Whole Foods. I would consider them "specialty suppliers." Kind of like locally sourcing someone to bake bread (i.e.: Grand Central w/Market of Choice) or even cleaning services. Although some of them in their effort to sell to Whole Foods have created local cooperatives under one name to sell as a group and I can't say what effect that has had.
However, that being said, Whole Foods has almost 200 stores in the US and is traded publicly, so they have to have growth/increased sales...and a good image, so I'm sure it's not picture perfect. Plus it's juxtaposed against the fact that they also carry big name industrial organics (i.e.: Cascadia Farm, Earthbound Farms, Chiquita-organics, etc.); additionally they have their own line of products (the 365 stuff) and who knows where that comes from.
Furthermore, the term local can be stretched, local to Whole Foods is within 200 miles (which is awesome if you consider that the average meal in the US travels about 3000 mi.) but not to my standard of local (you say 200 miles I think about the fact that Oregon is 300 miles of the I-5 corridor), my standard of local holds a much smaller radius. I can't wait to have a CSA next season.
So I wrote a lovely response to a totally different question (below), thinking about how the interaction between Whole Foods and local farms has been for the farms...
But now I think what you're really asking is if making organic more mainstream and available from a large conglomerate has hurt local farmers? I would say yes. (Although I think the growing number of CSA's is combating it, as well as the increase in farmers markets and attendance). The mainstreaming of organic has created (dare I say it) the bastard child industrial organic; so Whole Foods making large quantities of organic produce and other products available created a demand spike and these large farms move in to create the supply. Even traditionally industrial produce companies are coming out with organic lines, i.e.: Chiquita, Dole, del Monte. The story is the same with any industrial agriculture- get big or get out. I think that Whole Foods compromises it's vision when it tries to be like other grocers and have 'seasonless' supply (berries, peppers, bananas; in Jan.), organic tv dinners and other various organic processed foods. I would say my organic coming of age was in the arms of Whole Foods, at first I was dazzled by the organic goodies and fresh produce, but looking back just because it's labeled organic doesn't mean it's good for you or the Earth. (but I wouldn't say Whole Foods is the culprit, just one of the many forces that are driving this continuing industrialization of agriculture)
Plus, in my experience volunteering at a small organic farm a few miles from our apartment in DC, even the large scale certification of organic has hurt small farms. The process of becoming USDA certified and maintaining certification is so costly and intensive that it wasn't worth it for this farm to become certified, so they changed their description from Organic to 'Eco-ganic.' The USDA certified practices are better suited to large farms; the owner of the farm picked up a tomato and explained that in order to be compliant she would have to be able to track when it was planted, harvested and which field it came from. This farm was run by herself and her husband with a smattering of help from their kids, grandkids and volunteers, there's no way they could have that kind of precision.
And you'll notice that grocers carrying organic produce carry certified organics.
---the other answer--
On face, I would say Whole Foods local produce initiative has been okay for the farmers it serves. Although farmers markets and attendance at markets is high, having a guaranteed buyer (like a big name grocery store) is good. From what I know about how Whole Foods does it, they allow individual stores to connect with the local farmers, so it's not the corporate office calling the shots. And as far as I can tell, it goes from the farmer to the store, so no middle-man, which means more money to the farmer. Also, Whole Foods charges a premium on their organic foods (as was noted by Scott) so, it stands to reason that the farmer is also receiving a better price for their goods. I do not get the feeling they've become part of the industrial food chain by selling to a large grocer. They do not (seem) exist to sell to Whole Foods. I would consider them "specialty suppliers." Kind of like locally sourcing someone to bake bread (i.e.: Grand Central w/Market of Choice) or even cleaning services. Although some of them in their effort to sell to Whole Foods have created local cooperatives under one name to sell as a group and I can't say what effect that has had.
However, that being said, Whole Foods has almost 200 stores in the US and is traded publicly, so they have to have growth/increased sales...and a good image, so I'm sure it's not picture perfect. Plus it's juxtaposed against the fact that they also carry big name industrial organics (i.e.: Cascadia Farm, Earthbound Farms, Chiquita-organics, etc.); additionally they have their own line of products (the 365 stuff) and who knows where that comes from.
Furthermore, the term local can be stretched, local to Whole Foods is within 200 miles (which is awesome if you consider that the average meal in the US travels about 3000 mi.) but not to my standard of local (you say 200 miles I think about the fact that Oregon is 300 miles of the I-5 corridor), my standard of local holds a much smaller radius. I can't wait to have a CSA next season.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Down to Earth?
I read an interview in yesterday's Wall Street Journal with the CEO of Whole Foods where he talked about the mission and 'branding' of organic, local and sustainable foods and it's spread to other grocers/retailers. It was pretty interesting; the highlight being his coming paycut for 2007; he has offered to reduce his salary from $365,000 per year to $1.00. Quite a statement. I imagine he will still have boatloads of stock options etc etc (his compensation for the moment is noted by the AFL-CIO as 1.6m so I doubt he'll be hurting) but I like the message all the same. Especially when compared with other retail grocers.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Notes from the Bookstore
...if one more person comes in asking for "Osama Obama's" new book I think I might die from laughing.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Empowered?
I voted in this election, which is something I have not done in awhile, due to disenchantment, 'statelessness' (Wa. disowned me, and I refused Va.) and...well no, that's about it.
I think it feels more empowering when what/who you voted for wins...
I'll let you know when the full results are in.
I think it feels more empowering when what/who you voted for wins...
I'll let you know when the full results are in.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Question of the week.
Customer: "It's this book about genes and it has a greenish kind of cover."
Me: "Do you remember anything else about the book?"
Customer: "Not really, can't you find it? It was on Amazon."
Me: "Well I've done a search on 'genes' and 'genetic' and each returned over 300 results, most of which are not in stock."
Customer: "Well can you get on Amazon's website? I can get it from them."
Me: "Er...no, no I can't access competitors websites, sorry."
Me: "Do you remember anything else about the book?"
Customer: "Not really, can't you find it? It was on Amazon."
Me: "Well I've done a search on 'genes' and 'genetic' and each returned over 300 results, most of which are not in stock."
Customer: "Well can you get on Amazon's website? I can get it from them."
Me: "Er...no, no I can't access competitors websites, sorry."
Monday, October 23, 2006
"Bunch of savages in this town"
Okay so I have a posting hiatus and then have a fun weekend and post three times to share it...apparently 3 times the charm...and now I have to invoke a quote from Clerks.
We've had a theft in the family.
Joe called me today from REI where he was buying a new tube for his bike on his way home from work; he needed a ride....and not due to a flat tire. "bunch of savages in this town."
The employees at REI say there's a guy that does this a lot. He clips the cable (yes yes we know...we've already heard the lament of the cable bike lock, don't rub it in) and leaves the bike he rode at the scene of the crime Joe's K2 was traded for a battered red Raleigh (Nesquick Chocolate milk bottle included in the water bottle receptacle).
Ugh. Blast and Damn. And Blast again.
We've had a theft in the family.
Joe called me today from REI where he was buying a new tube for his bike on his way home from work; he needed a ride....and not due to a flat tire. "bunch of savages in this town."
The employees at REI say there's a guy that does this a lot. He clips the cable (yes yes we know...we've already heard the lament of the cable bike lock, don't rub it in) and leaves the bike he rode at the scene of the crime Joe's K2 was traded for a battered red Raleigh (Nesquick Chocolate milk bottle included in the water bottle receptacle).Ugh. Blast and Damn. And Blast again.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
It's like we're alcoholics or something
Beer on Saturday. Wine on Sunday. Follow the Yellow Brick Road...
Okay, so not only did we hang out at the 5th Quadrant on Saturday afternoon sampling seasonal beers, we got into the whole seasonal beer mindset. Unfortunately we were unable to really go for it that afternoon, so we, while taking advantage of subsidized CFL's at the local FM we went a bit beyond the season and grabbed some of the available winter ales: Fish Tales Winterfish, Deschutes Jubilale & Bridgeport's Ebeneezer. We got one bottle of each and went in that order, splitting them as we carved pumpkins, until I realized that I'm just not ready for winter ales yet. I'm pining for pumpkin beer. I did however enjoy the Winterfish as it was a tribute to other hoppy winter ales that I have enjoyed.
On Sunday, we took advantage of the beautiful fall weather to head out into the western wine area. We now realize that we will have to come to grips with Pinot Noir. I understood it was popular, but I had no idea. We visited two wineries before timing forced us back into town for a meeting. There were four Pinot Noir's between them, and we skipped a winery on the way that did only Pinot Noir.
The scenery was beautiful to take in, all the foliage turning...especially the vines. Plus it was 70 degrees, how could you not want to frolic in post season vineyards? Yes frolic. Plus pretty much all the wines we tasted were excellent.
We did make a pitstop in SW on the way home to check out a greater beer selection...it's amazing how even single bottle purchases add up :) We did find a little more variety in Pumpkin Ales, but it seems like everyone is ready for winter ales already. I suppose that's nothing to complain about.
Okay, so not only did we hang out at the 5th Quadrant on Saturday afternoon sampling seasonal beers, we got into the whole seasonal beer mindset. Unfortunately we were unable to really go for it that afternoon, so we, while taking advantage of subsidized CFL's at the local FM we went a bit beyond the season and grabbed some of the available winter ales: Fish Tales Winterfish, Deschutes Jubilale & Bridgeport's Ebeneezer. We got one bottle of each and went in that order, splitting them as we carved pumpkins, until I realized that I'm just not ready for winter ales yet. I'm pining for pumpkin beer. I did however enjoy the Winterfish as it was a tribute to other hoppy winter ales that I have enjoyed.
On Sunday, we took advantage of the beautiful fall weather to head out into the western wine area. We now realize that we will have to come to grips with Pinot Noir. I understood it was popular, but I had no idea. We visited two wineries before timing forced us back into town for a meeting. There were four Pinot Noir's between them, and we skipped a winery on the way that did only Pinot Noir.
The scenery was beautiful to take in, all the foliage turning...especially the vines. Plus it was 70 degrees, how could you not want to frolic in post season vineyards? Yes frolic. Plus pretty much all the wines we tasted were excellent.
We did make a pitstop in SW on the way home to check out a greater beer selection...it's amazing how even single bottle purchases add up :) We did find a little more variety in Pumpkin Ales, but it seems like everyone is ready for winter ales already. I suppose that's nothing to complain about.
Nubbin & Cow
Heh Heh...who names their pumpkins? Apparently we do and we think we're rather funny.
I love going out for pumpkins. I can only remember going a couple times as a
kid...but I think that the fun is really when you're an adult acting like a kid...and being glad that you can actually carry the pumpkin you picked, rather than having to roll it back to the car. So, for me the novelty of picking out pumpkins from a patch is in a renaissance. I love it. This year we picked the oddest shaped ones we could find it seems. They've been sitting on our little garden window for the past week, unaware of their fate.
We carved them last night. A disappointing amount of pumpkin seeds, but fun with knives and fire and shutter speeds more than made up for it.
I love going out for pumpkins. I can only remember going a couple times as a
kid...but I think that the fun is really when you're an adult acting like a kid...and being glad that you can actually carry the pumpkin you picked, rather than having to roll it back to the car. So, for me the novelty of picking out pumpkins from a patch is in a renaissance. I love it. This year we picked the oddest shaped ones we could find it seems. They've been sitting on our little garden window for the past week, unaware of their fate.
We carved them last night. A disappointing amount of pumpkin seeds, but fun with knives and fire and shutter speeds more than made up for it.
Chowda
On Saturday Joe and I went to check out the New Old Lompoc (5th Quadrant) and the Chowda Challenge benefit. The season completely forgetting itself, gave sunshine and warmth enough take advantage of the ample outdoor seating and leave coats behind. For $5 each we received a tray of 12 tasters of different New England style, Portland produced Chowders...with the proceeds going to the leukemia & lymphoma society (pretty cool). They had live music, seasonal beers for $3 a pint (with the hoppiest lager I've ever tasted) and this crazy balloon hat guy running around dressing everyone in some pretty creative balloon hats.
Of the 12 chowders at least 4 were in the "if I ordered this at a restaraunt I'd go hungry" category, some were very creative...almost to the point where we looked up to verify..."did you taste nutmeg in #4?" But the one that caught my heart was chock full of salty goodness and had huge clams in it. Which is weird. Because I usually do not like clams. At all. I spent many a weekend in my youth on beaches in the Puget Sound digging for clams, which, when were cooked at home repulsed me and restaraunt clams did little to convince me otherwise. So I generally eat around clams when I get chowder, because I like the creamy chowder, but eating the clams usually reveals the gritty, sandy, rubbery, chewy underbelly of the soup. I know. I know. But yesterday I ate many a clam, and although they have not completely won me over, I now know that at least sometimes they taste good. In fact, they were rather filling and between a pint of beer and half of each taster I was set. The results are to be posted sometime soon...so we'll see what we ate, who made it and whether we have "good taste."
...and some side notes...
(1) for those of you not raised by New Englanders it's chowda.
There are some audio studies at the end that should help anyone wanting to improve on dropping their r's (cough, Freed, cough cough...and Matt who is probably inadvertently developing one as we speak :) )
(2) When performing a spell check, "Puget" is checked as "puked" which brings a little smile to my face.
(3) I know it seems odd to use the words "beach" and "Puget Sound" in the same sentence, but, should these words be used within the same sentence, beach should be read as "rocks" and "gravel"
(4) While my brother and I used garden shovels to capture unwitting clams my Dad sat on the beach shucking oysters. He generally used a knife etc etc. But I've seen him and my Uncle walking along the beach sampling the oysters as they go. Using whatever means necessary. I can show you an excellent technique using a 1987 Plymouth Voyager valet key. Mmmmm Oysters on the half shell.
Of the 12 chowders at least 4 were in the "if I ordered this at a restaraunt I'd go hungry" category, some were very creative...almost to the point where we looked up to verify..."did you taste nutmeg in #4?" But the one that caught my heart was chock full of salty goodness and had huge clams in it. Which is weird. Because I usually do not like clams. At all. I spent many a weekend in my youth on beaches in the Puget Sound digging for clams, which, when were cooked at home repulsed me and restaraunt clams did little to convince me otherwise. So I generally eat around clams when I get chowder, because I like the creamy chowder, but eating the clams usually reveals the gritty, sandy, rubbery, chewy underbelly of the soup. I know. I know. But yesterday I ate many a clam, and although they have not completely won me over, I now know that at least sometimes they taste good. In fact, they were rather filling and between a pint of beer and half of each taster I was set. The results are to be posted sometime soon...so we'll see what we ate, who made it and whether we have "good taste."
...and some side notes...
(1) for those of you not raised by New Englanders it's chowda.
There are some audio studies at the end that should help anyone wanting to improve on dropping their r's (cough, Freed, cough cough...and Matt who is probably inadvertently developing one as we speak :) )
(2) When performing a spell check, "Puget" is checked as "puked" which brings a little smile to my face.
(3) I know it seems odd to use the words "beach" and "Puget Sound" in the same sentence, but, should these words be used within the same sentence, beach should be read as "rocks" and "gravel"
(4) While my brother and I used garden shovels to capture unwitting clams my Dad sat on the beach shucking oysters. He generally used a knife etc etc. But I've seen him and my Uncle walking along the beach sampling the oysters as they go. Using whatever means necessary. I can show you an excellent technique using a 1987 Plymouth Voyager valet key. Mmmmm Oysters on the half shell.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
What are the chances?
While shelving in Math/Science/Nature yesterday a book on probability fell on me off the top shelf. Twice.
Heh heh heh.
Heh heh heh.
Friday, September 22, 2006
...end of summer
Today might very well have been Joe's and my last "summer" day off together, as the ball has started rolling in his job court and mine has deflated (ha ha). We woke up this morning and spontaneously decided to drive up to see Mount St. Helens.
...and now I wanna climb it. Looking at the Southeastern side today, Joe and I started contemplating the potential ease...not so much climbing but more hiking (not easy hiking...but certainly not climbing...no gear necessary). Since the explosion 26 years ago removed about 2ooo feet from the mountain, it seems a like a good mountain for 'virgins.'
So now I'm looking into that for the end of next summer...after recovering from STP. The official climbing site seems to support our hypothesis, it looks like a one day, up the mountain, down again hike; about 4,500 feet in 5 miles. Sweet.
...and now I wanna climb it. Looking at the Southeastern side today, Joe and I started contemplating the potential ease...not so much climbing but more hiking (not easy hiking...but certainly not climbing...no gear necessary). Since the explosion 26 years ago removed about 2ooo feet from the mountain, it seems a like a good mountain for 'virgins.'
So now I'm looking into that for the end of next summer...after recovering from STP. The official climbing site seems to support our hypothesis, it looks like a one day, up the mountain, down again hike; about 4,500 feet in 5 miles. Sweet.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Unemployed...wha???
There's nothing like no work and all play. Once you get over the storming out of bars crying about your inflated/deflating ego blah blah blah phase it's all downhill.
So, not to make life sound fabulous, but let me just recount the last few days...
Monday was a good biking tour of the riverside esplanade...where, once again the sweet smell of blackberries assaulted the senses...I have yet to bike anywhere in this town that hasn't had at least a stretch of that absolutely fabulous aroma that the berries are putting off in this hot weather.
--on a side note, we had a good discussion of how to go about training for the STP and I got to veer off the trail and into downtown to stop at REI for some recreational shorts (with butt cushions...oh yeah, picture it). I'm also starting to lean more towards the idea of a "half-on" road bike instead of the hybrids/commuters I was considering earlier this year. I say "half-on" as in not "full-on" because I am still really attracted to the straight bar style instead of the drop down. I'm also attracted to the idea of having a job so I can purchase a new bike. Soon, maybe. (Also, biking downtown is fun for a few reasons, none of which include catching the spray from someone's windshield wiper cleaning fluid).
So, after getting home from our biking journey we chanced on the idea of going camping on Tuesday. So we got out the "granola" books and picked a couple of places. We finally settled on a coastal hiking and camping experience and set off mid-morning yesterday.
Ah, nature. Sort of. We picked a camping spot that had a hike from the campground proper, or so we thought, and ended up having to drive a bit further to get to the trailhead instead. So far, no big deal. We pulled up to the marked area and found an entourage...I thought the hike must be more popular than we had estimated for mid-week. We parked on the side of the road and headed up to the parking lot where we found, a couple of RV's, 3 or 4 fifteen foot trucks, a caterer, some lunch tables (complete with salt and pepper shakers) camera rigs and about 60 or 70 people standing around looking important. Uh?
A Kia car commercial was being filmed. I had no idea it took that many people to film a 1 minute blip of a car driving through wooded roads. Although it was kind
of cool to see the camera rigged SUV that was doing the filming. Oh well. Five miles of hiking along the coast and back and they were still there. I think we passed 4 or 5 different guys with walkie talkies stationed at different parts of the road on the way back to our campsite and they had positioned a flagger a few miles beyond to control traffic.
So, when you see it, know that somewhere tramping around in the woods, we were there. mwahahaha.
And fucking gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful to hike around in. We even got little "toe facials" (yes I know that makes no sense) from squelching along the muddy trail in sandals.
The whole bit of this camping trip was to finally have the opportunity to use some of our new toys. Our sleek backpacking tent, therma-rest pads, removable handle lightweight pots, and so on. nerds. I know I know. Shut up. We got a real kick out of lighting the fire with a flint strike too heh heh heh. And other than the crazy boys that showed up in the middle of the night, quite loudly and longly and (truth be told) to much amusement and heckling (amongst ourselves) from our half-asleep state, it was quite a lovely night.
Besides, when we woke up with rain this morning I peeked my head out to get a glimpse of the new arrivals only to find that karma is a real bitch. They had not brought a rain fly for their tent. Ah.... They had grudgingly packed up and shipped out before we even had the gumption to sit-up in our tent. Which is awesome by the way...no rain problems here, although we probably could have set the fly up better/tighter, bah...bygones.
I also enjoyed our "brown-bagged" wine. It was lovely to sit and sip as we sat by the fire, eating dinner, then later as we watched the sunset over the ocean and then finally in the tent playing rummy and getting sleepy.
...and the sunset...
This morning after we had sufficiently woken up, we took a long walk on the beach with a mug of tea and then came back, took down the camp and headed into town where we sampled and purchased some excellent local cheeses on our way home.
So, not to make life sound fabulous, but let me just recount the last few days...
Monday was a good biking tour of the riverside esplanade...where, once again the sweet smell of blackberries assaulted the senses...I have yet to bike anywhere in this town that hasn't had at least a stretch of that absolutely fabulous aroma that the berries are putting off in this hot weather.
--on a side note, we had a good discussion of how to go about training for the STP and I got to veer off the trail and into downtown to stop at REI for some recreational shorts (with butt cushions...oh yeah, picture it). I'm also starting to lean more towards the idea of a "half-on" road bike instead of the hybrids/commuters I was considering earlier this year. I say "half-on" as in not "full-on" because I am still really attracted to the straight bar style instead of the drop down. I'm also attracted to the idea of having a job so I can purchase a new bike. Soon, maybe. (Also, biking downtown is fun for a few reasons, none of which include catching the spray from someone's windshield wiper cleaning fluid).
So, after getting home from our biking journey we chanced on the idea of going camping on Tuesday. So we got out the "granola" books and picked a couple of places. We finally settled on a coastal hiking and camping experience and set off mid-morning yesterday.
Ah, nature. Sort of. We picked a camping spot that had a hike from the campground proper, or so we thought, and ended up having to drive a bit further to get to the trailhead instead. So far, no big deal. We pulled up to the marked area and found an entourage...I thought the hike must be more popular than we had estimated for mid-week. We parked on the side of the road and headed up to the parking lot where we found, a couple of RV's, 3 or 4 fifteen foot trucks, a caterer, some lunch tables (complete with salt and pepper shakers) camera rigs and about 60 or 70 people standing around looking important. Uh?
A Kia car commercial was being filmed. I had no idea it took that many people to film a 1 minute blip of a car driving through wooded roads. Although it was kind
of cool to see the camera rigged SUV that was doing the filming. Oh well. Five miles of hiking along the coast and back and they were still there. I think we passed 4 or 5 different guys with walkie talkies stationed at different parts of the road on the way back to our campsite and they had positioned a flagger a few miles beyond to control traffic.So, when you see it, know that somewhere tramping around in the woods, we were there. mwahahaha.
And fucking gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful to hike around in. We even got little "toe facials" (yes I know that makes no sense) from squelching along the muddy trail in sandals.The whole bit of this camping trip was to finally have the opportunity to use some of our new toys. Our sleek backpacking tent, therma-rest pads, removable handle lightweight pots, and so on. nerds. I know I know. Shut up. We got a real kick out of lighting the fire with a flint strike too heh heh heh. And other than the crazy boys that showed up in the middle of the night, quite loudly and longly and (truth be told) to much amusement and heckling (amongst ourselves) from our half-asleep state, it was quite a lovely night.
Besides, when we woke up with rain this morning I peeked my head out to get a glimpse of the new arrivals only to find that karma is a real bitch. They had not brought a rain fly for their tent. Ah.... They had grudgingly packed up and shipped out before we even had the gumption to sit-up in our tent. Which is awesome by the way...no rain problems here, although we probably could have set the fly up better/tighter, bah...bygones.
I also enjoyed our "brown-bagged" wine. It was lovely to sit and sip as we sat by the fire, eating dinner, then later as we watched the sunset over the ocean and then finally in the tent playing rummy and getting sleepy.
...and the sunset...
This morning after we had sufficiently woken up, we took a long walk on the beach with a mug of tea and then came back, took down the camp and headed into town where we sampled and purchased some excellent local cheeses on our way home.
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