Anne's Public Storage Space

Improvements

2011-05-01T15:14:00.001-06:00

Moonlight Scotch Broom plants were on sale at the local nursery and, since there was one on the property when I got it (way overgrown, but did not make the move from the patio area to the side yard) I thought it might be nice to have a new one -- in the side yard, as originally intended.
The hole digging went much more smoothly than I expected, so now I'm enjoying one of my birthday presents (bought with a gift card): Family Guy: Star Wars Trilogy. I'm not generally a Family Guy fan* but it is really good (especially the first one, Blue Harvest). I highly recommend it to any Star Wars fan. (And for any of my friends, you're welcome to borrow mine. :)

*I once dated a guy who disliked South Park because of Cartman, but loved Family Guy. I, on the other hand, dislike Family Guy because of Peter, but love South Park. The humor of this was not lost on me, as both are extremely similar, boorish and unpleasant.

Me and Work

2011-04-23T11:49:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I did an experiment about working first, then playing later. It worked in the sense that I got lots done (and needed to). It also confirmed for me that my internal rhythm does not suit that particular saying. I worked the entire weekend and did not actually get any "play" because of several factors:
- If I am "on a roll" and getting somewhere on my neverending to-do list, I won't stop because of some arbitrary stopping point. This is why I work late during the week and why I rarely go into work early. My most productive time is in the afternoon, so it's hard for me to stop working during that time.
- I have a strong habit of needing to "finish" a task before I stop. This often manifests as needing to finish the chapter or a scene before putting a good book down, finishing a knitting row or sequence before putting knitting down, finishing a task at work before stopping for the day, etc.
This, paired with my morning attention patterns:
- I'm often late for work because I get distracted and start emptying the dishwasher (which, of course has to be finished before I leave), reading an article in a magazine, taking out the trash, etc.
- The above distraction at work as well makes it difficult to get a lot accomplished in the morning. I'm checking my email, catching up on what I missed online at the end of the day before, etc. (I rarely get online in the evenings anymore. It really screws with my bedtime.)

The conclusion is, I'm not going to feel guilty anymore that I play first and work later. Life is too short to fight your inner nature, and as long as I get stuff accomplished sometime and it doesn't negatively affect others, who cares when I get it done?

A Case for a Hermitage

2011-04-16T23:15:00.000-06:00

1. When you are a hermit, no one comes to your house, so they don't see the cat hair on the couch or the drips of spaghetti sauce on the stove top or the crumbs on the counter and think "TSK. Doesn't she ever tidy this place?"

2. When you are a hermit, you don't see anyone, so they don't look at your clothes and your hair and think "TSK. There's a stain on the collar of his shirt. And his hair is much too long. Would it kill him to get a haircut?"

3. When you are a hermit, you don't interact with anyone, so you don't have to be afraid of accidentally offending someone or hurting someone's feelings, as if you were some sort of lumbering cave troll who backs into someone's favorite heirloom vase and sends it tumbling to its doom.

4. When you are a hermit, you don't tell anyone what you do, so you can spend your time as you really honestly like. If you feel gardening that day, you can spend the whole day covered in dirt. If you feel like sitting in the sun reading a book, you can do that without someone thinking, "What a lazy bum. Doesn't she know there is grass to be mown, weeds to be pulled, leaves to be raked and plants to be watered?"

When you are a hermit, you are insulated from judgment. Sure, the people in the town 40 miles away, where you go to get supplies think, "Strange old duck. Half the marbles have rolled away," but they only think that on the day you go into town, every 3 months or so. And the rest of the time, you're free to be yourself.

More Hobbity Goodness

2011-03-31T10:12:00.000-06:00

I swear, this is not going to become a Hobbit Blog. Eventually, when my knee is better, we'll get back to pictures of tasty food, camping trips, maps of motorcycling trips, etc. But for now, I'm (quite literally) sick and tired and will post a cool link instead of saying something pithy.

Hey, look at this cool link for some beautiful Russian illustrations of The Hobbit! I love the furry legs on Bilbo and Smaug is gorgeous. I'm pretty sure the dwarves would object to being depicted like something out of Snow White, but the simplicity of the drawings is lovely.

Hobbity Goodness

2011-03-21T22:59:00.000-06:00

Filming has begun on The Hobbit! SQUEEEEE!!

When I heard Martin Freeman had been selected to play Bilbo, it seemed the perfect choice.

The director, Peter Jackson, said Freeman was born to play the role. "He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave, exactly like Bilbo, and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit."

It thrills me silly to think that they have made such a good start. (Granted, they've been having other troubles up to this point.) A good start on the translation of the story is what I mean.

I'm not sure how much I'm going to follow the production. I love knowing how movies are made, but I usually see that stuff after I watch the movie. Here are a couple spots to follow the news:
The Hobbit (movie) website
The One Ring dot Net

And finally, for your entertainment, click here for an interesting comparison of production promotion photos from the LotR movies and the Hobbit movies. Taken a decade apart. :)

SQUEEE!

Surgery Update

2011-03-02T12:41:00.001-07:00

Well, that wasn't a particularly successful "thread." It turned out that feeling crappy and having to lounge far enough back that my knee is above my heart is a pretty good deterrent for getting online.
Here's the update:
It's almost two weeks after the surgery. I initially had a bad reaction to Percoset and was switched to Vicodin, but even the milder side effects of that were intolerable to me. A week after surgery I ditched the pain meds in favor of ice and Tylenol. I'd resort to a drink if it were a particularly hard day.
I've been doing PT for the last 9 days. It took me a bit to figure out how to work in 3 one-hour (45 min. exercising, 15 min. icing) PT workouts into my schedule, but I think I've managed it. I just got back from my second PT appointment and while I've got good range of motion, I've got to continue to work on it and I've got to concentrate on maintaining a good, natural heel-toe motion when walking. Tough to do with a brace and a crutch, but I'll work on it.
I slept all the way through the night last night... Yippee! Actually, yesterday was a good day. I worked from home (went in to work the day before) and had my knee iced and elevated most of the day. The swelling had gone down considerably and I was in less pain.
Today, not so great, as I am out and about and not being able to be as diligent, but... oh well.

I'll update this post later after my appointment with the surgeon in about an hour...

Surgery Thread

2011-02-18T16:36:00.001-07:00

This story will be told in installations, as I am too tired for long term computer use today.

Yesterday afternoon, I had my first real surgery, with IVs and anesthesia and whatnot. It was surgery to replace my ruptured ACL and to trim back torn pieces of my miniscus.
The process went very smoothly and all the nurses and doctors were funny and professional at the same time. I wasn't hungry all morning, since I had stuffed myself with pad thai the night before. When they took me into the surgery room, I lay down on the bed and they laid wonderfully warm blankets on me. The anesthesiologist (a very funny guy who also volunteers to help poor children in Guatemala) started applying sensors to my body and said something about me feeling a sensation when the anesthesia starting to enter my bloodstream, and then... nothing. I woke up from what seemed like a deep sleep (I think I even had weird dreams) in a strange room. Oh, yeah, I thought, I had surgery today. It was the recovery room, of course. I have to admit, it feels very weird to think of being unconscious and people doing thins to me and my body without my direct knowledge.
From what I hear, I was very pale coming out of surgery, but my color gradually returned as the time progressed. My mum was able to come in and sit with me both in pre-op and in the recovery room. Stacey also came by and helped by keeping my mum company and then helping us by leading the way back home. (Thank you, dear Stacey!)
So far, I've done a lot of sleeping and taking pain pills on a schedule. Mum made a yummy barley, mushroom, and parsnip soup and plying me with yummy eats like sauteed Portabella mushrooms on toast. I've been drinking water pretty constantly (I was going to the bathroom every 3 hours last night) and have been getting handier with the crutches.
So, every side effect but one have been minimized. I'm not nauseous and the pain is well managed, but I get tired very easily. In fact, I feel another nap coming on.

Later, a description of how I got the injury, what the surgeon did and how she fixed it.

Thank you, everyone, for your help and support!

Double Take

2011-02-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting website for the graphic designers in my acquaintance:

Copycat Covers

Not only similar covers -- nearly identical ones! Tells me there are too many books being published or two many artists not being hired.

The Approaching Cliff

2011-02-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

I've been at work both days this weekend and have realized why I'm actually looking forward to my knee surgery. It's because for good or for bad, this pace of work will STOP. Granted, part of the reason for this pace of work is because of the impending surgery. There's a reason my house gets dirty and cluttered when I'm busy and this time, it can't. It can't because dirt and clutter that accumulates before the surgery will be there for weeks after it.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the change. I know it's not a vacation, but with the right preparation, it can be a welcome lull in my life.

Shrinking or Just Wrong?

2011-02-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

A couple decades ago, I would have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I was 5'-8". Then, a few years ago, Krissy and I were fooling around with measuring our heights and I discovered I was really 5'-7". I have to admit that though I made the mental change and stated the more accurate height when asked, I didn't really believe it. Must be some kind of mistake! Yesterday, decided to check again. Yup, I am definitely only 5'-7" (less at the end of the day).
So, my question is... did I shrink already, or was I just wrong the whole time?
The things we ponder in the night.

Tucked In Tight

2011-02-07T23:48:00.002-07:00

The forcast is for snow, and lots of it.
With such forewarning, I was able to plan to bring some work home with me and to get done some things that needed to be done in the office (couldn't be done at home). That, of course, meant I stayed late at work (after going in early, too!), but when things need to get done, they need to get done.
Even though it was late-ish, I decided I could also get some shopping done. In less than one hour, I stopped at four stores, got exactly (or nearly so) what I wanted. First stop: Target - which did not have the footie pyjamas I wanted for my convalescence, but I ended up getting some pretty pyjama pants and some groceries, so "mission partially accomplished." Second stop: Costco - got in under the wire (8:24, closing at 8:30) and bought enough chicken for catfood for a couple months. Third stop: Home Depot - asked the guy bringing in the carts for directions and he pointed me directly towards the de-icing salt (not the ideal kind, but [shrug]). Fourth stop: Petsmart for dry catfood, not really needed right NOW, but will be in a week or so. I would have made a fifth stop - the ATM - within that hour timeframe, but there were orange cones in front of it, which I took to mean (from a distance) that it was out of order. Whirlwind shopping trip, but I felt incredibly accomplished after that. :)

The chicken for catfood has been weighed, divided up, and put into the garage freezer for future use. The pyjama pants turned out to be the right size, even though I didn't try them on. (Whew!) Adult Footed Pajamas have been researched and purchased. I have food for days, my work with me, a "to read" pile as tall as I am and have buttoned up the house.

Snug as a bug in a little tiny rug...

:D

(I think the cats will be happy too.)

Postscript (6:30 the next morning) : I am underwhelmed by the snow. It looks like about 1/2" here. I'll get some work done here and then go in. :/

It's Late

2011-02-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

I'm going to reward myself for getting a ton of things done today in spite of heavy snow and heavy cats by going to bed now instead of doing my exercises for the next half hour.

Yup, I'm a slacker.

Who's Coming to Dinner?

2011-02-04T23:04:00.002-07:00

No, not literally. (Though I do hope to have a Spring Dinner Party this year...)

I was just telling my friend, belsum, how the gracious Tim Gunn would be on my list of celebrity dinner invitees, if I ever had the opportunity to have one. My celebrity dinner invitees would have to be thoughtful, intelligent, unique, and I would have to have diversity. No collection of famous architects. (Sorry, but [gag]!)
I don't have a comprehensive list, but here's the start:
Tim Gunn
Jodie Foster
Stephen Hawking
Elizabeth Moon
Jon Stewart (I think Stephen Colbert's fascinating too, but to invite them both would skew the dynamics at the table)
Condoleeza Rice (Damn, I'd love to invite Colin Powell too. Would that skew the dynamics?)
Brian Jennings (but he'd have to sit at the opposite end of the table from Jon Stewart or their hi-jinks would hi-jack the party.)
Jane Goodall
Dave Grohl

I'll stop there, since having too big of a dinner party (this would be a party of ten, including myself) would mean I wouldn't get to talk to all of them. It was interesting limiting things: keeping it to live celebrities and an equal number of men and women. I also love diversity. Some people got nixed (Michelle Obama, Neil Gaiman, Michelle Yeoh, etc.) because I already have someone who is too similar on the list. I have two scientists at the table, but they're really different sciences. I do not have an artist, an athlete, a doctor, or a chef on there yet. I'm considering Alton Brown or Michael Rhulman, but would need a lady invitee to fill out the other seat and I'm just drawing a blank at the moment. It has to be someone I have confidence would bring good conversational skills to the table in addition to wit and intelligence.

How about you? Who would you invite?

An Inconvenient Cat

2011-02-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to do the (painful, since my quads are full of lactic acid) wall squats and every time I am in the "sitting" position, Martin comes over and meows at me. When the 10 second interval is over, I stand up to pet him, he runs away. I think it's because the sitting position looks like it has a lap -- always a cat-friendly position, right? Err... no, Martin.

Cold Reboot

2011-02-02T23:24:00.001-07:00

Last June, I started a website to keep myself accountable for exercising and getting myself back in shape. It had limited success, as work took over my life in mid-July, but the intention was there. I tried to restart, but was waylaid by a few health problems, primarily a knee-injury from five years ago flaring up again after I re-injured it at the end of October. Now, after visiting the doctor (yeah, I know, I *never* do that!), the diagnosis is "ruptured ACL and torn meniscus with bone bruising". I'm scheduled to get surgery on Feb. 17th, and after that, I'll have extensive PT. I've decided to use that accountability website to keep myself on track for that. After some thought and some avoidance of pre-op exercise (to strengthen the muscles in anticipation of some loss of muscle as a result of the surgery), I'm also going to keep myself accountable for that as well.

Hey, it worked today. I did my exercises.

If you are curious about how I'm doing, the link (Active Accountability) is in the right-hand sidebar. >>>>

Co-incidents

2011-02-02T01:24:00.000-07:00

I've been moving through some old and familiar ground over the past six (twelve?) months or so and today I ran across two articles that speak to the solution*.

What I've learned since 2007: Part 2 (Part of a series of a young woman relating the mental transformation she experienced while struggling with her weight.)

The road that led from there to here (Single Dad Laughing can be hyperbolic and dramatic in his prose, but as his aim is to speak to a large audience and promote thought, these are acceptable flaws.)

Both speak about learning to love yourself and the transformative effect it can have. I can't say I'm dramatically on one end of the scale or the other, but I have experienced the process, and from experience know that like an addiction, the potential for backsliding is always there.

Here's hoping I'm moving in the "right" direction.

* The word "solution" seems way too pat, but it gets the idea across.

Taste Testing: Cat Edition

2011-01-17T12:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I went into the pet store to stock up on cat litter and one of the three catfoods I mix for my boys' dry catfood bowl. (It's related to my own resistance to doing the same thing all the time, not so much a request from the boys.) After wandering around for quite a while looking for Friskies Dental Diet, I find out that it's been discontinued. Nooooooo! I've been feeding them Dental Diet for nearly 7 years now and they love it and their teeth are great!

Much put out, I went to look for an alternative*. Of course, there's nothing even remotely similar (especially that nice big kibble size), and the packaging is all skewed to appeal to touchy-feely types ("would you feed your pet something you wouldn't eat") or sciency types ("scientifically proven!") or the mainstream (as seen on TV). It really put me off, but I ended up looking more at the touchy-feely stuff, since I'm more inclined to think esatz "pure ingredients" was slightly more believable than "science" that I didn't know the background for. The mainstream stuff I dismissed as the kitty version of junk food. Sure, I would like to live on Cheetoes myself, but for how long would that be? Granted, Dental Diet was a Friskies brand and though not advertised much, would have been found with the mainstream stuff. I purchased small bags of three different possible substitutes and put out a small bowl of each. Interestingly, the one I was slightly favoring is the one they've barely touched. The picture above (taken this morning) is the 12 hour results so far. Top to bottom are the catfoods shown below left to right. Interestingly, the boys seem to like the one with avocado in it. Hmmm!

* If anyone hears of a good alternative, let me know!

UPDATE: The results are in. I originally gave them 50 g of each food. At the end of 24 hours, the following amounts remained:
Wellness Indoor Health - 48 g (boys ate 4%)
Blue Buffalo Indoor Health - 17 g (boys ate 66%)
Avoderm Indoor Hairball Care Formula - 9 g (boys ate 82%)

Looks like Avoderm is the clear winner, with Blue Buffalo an acceptable alternative. Wellness got a big "no thank you!" so I'll be dropping that off as a donation for the Cat Care Society.

Another One for Jen A

2011-01-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

I thought of Jen when I saw the snow on this wooden bench. :D

Cuteness Webcam

2010-12-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

I don't generally follow animal webcams, as I'm not very consistent, BUT...
I finally followed Firefox's link to a webcam for firefox (or red panda) cubs and jeezoopeetz, are they cute!
If they're sleeping, like they are now, you can click on the "meet the cubs" tab to see some up close cuteness.

Pie, for dinner?

2010-12-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

"What do you have for dessert? Peas?"
- 80s TV advertisement

This picture of a beef curry pie with a parsley crust that I made yesterday goes out to all the folks who missed the photos I posted on Facebook of the San Francisco trip. (If you're interested I can post some of them here too. Requests can be entered in the comments :)

Intellectual Attraction

2010-12-06T18:39:00.002-07:00

An Alien's Guide to Earth

This somewhat rambling and popular-talk-show style podcast/radio program has, at its core, a great interview between Neil Degrasse Tyson and Jon Stewart about The Daily Show's newest book "Earth: The Book."
If you can stomach the talk-show banter (honestly, I wouldn't have made it through if the interview was even one notch less interesting) and the ads (virtuous ads, but still ads), this interview illustrates why I adore Jon Stewart. He really speaks about the things I think about. You know that conversation-starter question about "what famous persons would you most like to invite to dinner?" He's at the top of my list.

"We'll catch you on the flip-flop."

2010-11-12T01:14:00.001-07:00

Today I got some news that I was kind of hoping for and dreading at the same time. My dear Uncle Sam passed away this week. The good news is, he went the way he wanted to go -- independently, in his own home, with little fuss and bother. The bad news is, the selfish beings he left here in the physical must continue on without his humor and love to make the going easier.

I am so glad I moved out here to Denver and got to know my father's siblings and their spouses and my cousins. Uncle Sam and Uncle Arch helped me to fix up the house. When I bought it, it needed new floors throughout and a new fence and the two of them helped me do it. Two septuagenarians (both 72 at the time) labored over my new hardwood floor and cedar fence. I'd feel guilty, except that pair of jokesters had so much fun doing it. I know Sam didn't always have the best relationships with those he loved, but with me, he was always loving and supportive - even when I first showed up at one of our lunches at Olive Garden on my motorcycle. He joked that I'd be causing accidents, since all the fellas would be rubbernecking to see the gal on a bike. He was my AAA when I had a car that didn't automatically turn the lights off when the engine was turned off. I would be coming home late from school and the battery would be dead, because I had left the lights on after driving in the snow, and he come out from Lakewood in the middle of the night to jump start my battery. He had the best memory (until those last few years, anyways) and was a great storyteller. The decline of his memory and independence was difficult to witness. I am SO glad things worked out so that we could have that mini-reunion for his 80th birthday. It was wonderful that everyone made an effort to get together and share the day. I always think of Sam when I see a big rig and I think my dear sister put it best when she posted some lines from a C. W. McCall song:

And then everyone was asleep, except me. And as I saw the morning star come up over the mountains, I realized that life is just a collection of memories. And memories are like starlight: they go on forever.

We will miss you, Uncle Sam, you gave us some great memories. Give Aunt Waneta a hug and a kiss from us. Love, Annie

Beautiful Writing

2010-11-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

This link has been put about on Facebook, but I know some of my readers have not, so I will repost it here.

Roger Ebert is best known as a movie critic, but ever since cancer and the attempted treatment of it changed his life, he has emerged as a preeminent modern essayist (in the form of his blog).

This post about loneliness struck a chord for some of my friends, and it does for me as well. One thing he did not bring up, but a commenter later on does: some of the loneliest times I have ever experienced were in the presence of another person. I would state "most of the..." but I have a crappy memory and I'll give myself and others the benefit of the doubt. For me, loneliness is about connection and sharing - or lack thereof. Most of it can be avoided by exerting oneself, and the remainder must be endured.

It sounds like it might be a sad post, but it's not really. Just thought provoking.

Fall in the Mountains

2010-11-06T23:46:00.000-06:00

Photos from my trip: West Virgina

Blackwater Falls, named thusly for the tannin darkened water.

Trees...

Trees... (this shaggy one looks like it could be from a Seuss book)

And more trees.

My lovely hostess...

There's a fungus among us!

A picturesque view from a Pennsylvania hill at Kentuck Knob. Anyone want to buy that little farm for me? Looks like it would be nice for Christmas.

The Rally

2010-11-03T14:26:00.001-06:00

Some time ago, I posted a link from the Daily Show that made a case for the US political machine being like the WWF. It brilliantly illustrated a long held speculation I've had about politics. (Re-watching it, I still think it's brilliant.)

In mid September, I had a similar feeling of concurrence. This feels a little like deja vu. As a non-conformist, this happen rarely (it had better!) and as a moderate, this happens rarely (unfortunately) as the media doesn't cover moderation very often. Jon Stewart, on the Daily Show, announced the Rally to Restore Sanity. He said it would be for all those people who are tired of the divisiveness of the current political climate, to which I thought, “Absolutely. It would be cool to attend that. How often do you see a rally for moderates?” Of course, I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars just to go stand with a crowd of people, no matter how much I agree with them. Besides, I had two fears: one, that the rally would be co-opted by extreme liberals (I know Jon doesn't swing that way, but many people who watch his show do), and two, that it would be all shtick and no substance.

A week or two later, I was planning my trip to WV and MD, and I realized that I would actually be in the area the weekend of the event. The stars aligned and I ended up going with my hostess, Jen, and her friend, Sarah. (My one regret is that Sarah and I didn't explain the purpose of event to Jen a bit more, so she knew what it was about beforehand.) We made a small detour to check out the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian (very cool building – I'd like to visit again and spend half a day there...) and then dove into the crowds of the rally.

Current estimates place the crowd at 200-215 thousand people. I'll not go into a long description as this article from the BBC summarizes the situation well. There were some great signs; my favorites were “Poster Board is a Terrible Medium for Complex Arguments,” “!,” and “What do we want? Moderation!!! When do we want it? In a reasonable time frame.” (Some more can be found in this gallery.) It was an extremely diverse group of people with all ages, colors, and creeds represented (here's a photo gallery from the event). I saw lots of women in Muslim headscarves (which, unlike some former NPR journalists, makes me feel happy about diversity). For people-watching, it was a “target rich environment.” The noise of the crowd, however, drowned out any hope we had of actually hearing the event, and after a couple hours, we left, needing a toilet not in a plastic box, a place to sit down, and somewhere where we weren't being jostled every other minute. Turns out, being somewhere where the crowd was continually moving was good for people watching and bad for people averse to being knocked about by people who (sensibly, I admit) carried all their provisions for the day on their backs.

Later, we caught up though commentaries and live-blogging on some of the events we'd been present for but couldn't see or hear. The pundits claiming that this would be something to motivate the youth to vote missed the point entirely, as should be evident from some of the un-youthful entertainers they had: Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), Ozzy Osbourne, The O'Jays, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and R2D2. After a day or two, Comedy Central has posted most of the show online. Most notably, we listened to Jon Stewart's closing speech, which can be seen here as “Jon's Moment of Sincerity.” I highly recommend watching it, as the sentiments expressed are extremely sensible and illustrated well (I love a good metaphor!):

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Jon Stewart - Moment of Sincerity

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sainty and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

My fears were laid to rest, as it was neither partisan, nor without substance. I wish I could have heard it live (the recording is deceptive – the crowd was never silent, there was always some idiot (not Jon) talking) but I am satisfied with having been there, having represented, and knowing that the cameras were recording Jon telling the world what I and many like me want to say:

“We are reasonable people and we can work together and be diverse at the same time.”

Thank you to Jon Stewart and all his minions for doing this for us, the quiet moderates.

Postscript: Yesterday, I saw video from a post rally press conference. Both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert acquit themselves well. Stephen had shed his larger-than-life parody character and was actually himself. He has a gentle demeanor that was very surprising to me. Jon, as I've seen in other interviews, was earnest and easily shed questions that tried to apply too much political meaning to the event. Great interviews, if you're interested.

Trip East: WV Forest

2010-10-26T18:24:00.000-06:00

I am, for the moment, visiting friends back east. This photo is from Morgantown, West Virginia. I had forgotten and not forgotten how lovely the Appalachains are. :)
So far, we've visited Blackwater Falls, Kentuck Knob, the WVU Arboretum, and tomorrow we're headed to the DC area to visit another friend.
I am taking lots of walks and having a great time. :D

Fall Anticipation

2010-10-21T17:07:00.001-06:00

I can't wait to see the fall colors of the Appalachians! Two days to go!
(This is the local, CO, color. :)

Weekend in an Afternoon

2010-10-12T21:20:00.001-06:00

Whew!

For the last three months, I've been working on a couple back to back projects with crazy schedules. (Well, the second didn't have a crazy schedule until we had to put the start of intensive work on hold until the first one was finished.) It's been intense and waaaay longer between breaks than is good for me, but the last crazy deadline is done and I have 4 weeks until the next one.

My immediate reward (besides the giant margarita immediately after finishing the deliverables for this morning's meeting over 16 hours before the meeting): take the afternoon off. I did some research shopping for a tape deck music converter, had my favorite salad at Il Vicino, paid my overdue library fines and got some more audiobook CDs (one of them is A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, read by Michael Jackson -- if that turns out to be the famous singer, I'm returning it immediately; he may be a fabulous musician, but his voice is creepy!), drove home and caught up on some internet stuff, went for an hour long walk and tested my new smartphone's tracking abilitiy, sat outside with the cats, started the laundry, and wrote this blog post. I'm going to try to go to bed early. We'll see how that goes.

It's amazing how ONE afternoon can recharge your batteries! :)

Additional: OK, in looking up the link for the late, great MJ, I listened to a few of his songs. Boy do they take me back to the 80s. I think I'm going to buy his Greatest Hits CD -- it's fun music, dammit!

Additional Additional: Dinner tonight was sauteed shrimp and green beans (frozen -- not as good as fresh, not as bad as canned). Dessert was a Dark and Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer, YUM!)

Time for Writing

2010-09-30T20:13:00.001-06:00

I am sitting here at work at 8 pm, taking a mental break by surfing a little (and extending the time I will need to be here by the same amount of time [arrgghh]) and ran across a post by Mr. Scalzi (yes, again, but apparently I'm skimming the good bits of gold from the gravel pretty handily) about finding time to write. This is a subject that's been much on my mind lately. I've taken a hiatus from writing for the last year or so, partly because I have a job that's been a challenge to manage and partly because I've been feeling cut off from my connection with... well, I don't know what to call it... certainly not my friends and family who have been and always will be so wonderful to be with. I've been scatterbrained and stressed and disengaged and ultimately, all of this is just what my current interpretation on my life is. And I want to change that. I won't go into it all, as I really should get back to work, but one big goal I have is to get back to writing, even if I feel super crappy at it right now. Because something that I've realized during the hiatus? You can't get better at something if you don't practice.

I've talked before about getting a better regimen going in my life -- damn me if it doesn't include a regular writing schedule.

Van Gogh Like You've Never Seen Him

2010-09-29T13:13:00.001-06:00

Lately I haven't had much time to surf the internet, check out what people are saying/seeing/doing, engage in frivolous online discourse. You know because you've seen how dormant this blog has become.

HOWEVER: Today, following my nose I stumbled upon the following awesome image slideshow of Van Gogh paintings that have been manipulated in Photoshop. To clarify with words from the author/artist: "Nothing in any of these paintings been added or removed or had its proportions changed. The effect is achieved simply by manipulating the light in the scene and adjusting the areas of the image that are more and less in focus, as you will see."

Click here to go to the full slideshow. Well worth your time!

Simply amazing.

(Due credit to Mr. Scalzi for bringing it to the attention of his audience.)

Sense and Sensibility

2010-09-02T19:43:00.000-06:00

The Daily Show is on hiatus this week, so they're doing their usual thing and highlighting past interviews with a common theme. This week it's "brilliant banter" and the first one was so spot on, I had to share.

Jane Goodall is lovely, thoughtful, and supremely intelligent. Worth listening to:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Jane Goodall

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

I LOVE what she says about fundamentalism.

Loot! Loot for m..e?

2010-08-26T10:49:00.001-06:00

Actually, I did not get super excited when I picked up the package from the post office this morning. (It was express, and they wanted me to sign for it.) I suspected and then saw that it was from John the Scientist and Nathan. I had a little thrill of apprehensive fascination, wondering what strangeness awaited me.

I did open it at work, but not with anyone nearby, so I didn't have to explain why someone was sending me food-grade bull penis. Mmmm... yummy! :D
I think the really raunchy jokes will be reserved for a more private venue, but job well done, boys. I think I was a little more icked out by the idea of meat that's been in the mail (with an ice pack, yes) for a day or two, rather than the source of the meat itself. I'm probably not going to eat it a) because it was in the mail for a day or two and b) because it's main attribute seems to be chewiness (and is a good treat for dogs). Nice try.

Musical Bridging

2010-08-22T02:28:00.002-06:00

I was fortunate enough to find out before it aired that PBS was airing "Paul McCartney: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song." So, I set the DVR (no cable necessary -- this is PBS!) and recorded it. I didn't get a chance to see it until this weekend, and now I've watched it about three times. It's fabulous.
The musicians who played in Paul's honor were incredibly diverse and included: McCartney himself and Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, teen heartthrobs Jonas Brothers, jazz great Herbie Hancock with Corinne Bailey Rae, rock star Dave Grohl, country star Faith Hill, the not-as-lovely-as-Hot-Chick-Janiece-but-still-talented Emmylou Harris, classical pianist Lang Lang and the truly alternative Jack White, with remarks by Jerry Seinfeld. The least interesting part was Jerry Seinfeld, partly because half his jokes were about how horrible marriage is (which always bothers me), and the most interesting were the performances by Jack White and Dave Grohl -- neither of which I had really heard before. Jack White played a fascinatingly delicate version of Mother Nature's Son. Faith Hill, who followed him with a rendition of Long and Winding Road, sounded almost disappointingly conventional, until I played the mental game of pretending I was hearing them in a different order. Dave Grohl played Band on the Run with such great passion and skill (I liked this version better than the original) I had to Google him to find out why I hadn't heard of him before. Turns out it's partly because I'm always at least ten years behind the curve and partly because he's the type of fellow who plays in and leads strong ensemble bands not named after himself (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures). Also, though I'm not usually a big fan of long hair on men, it really works for him. Really does. :D
To be clear, ALL the performers were excellent, including the great Sir Paul himself. Lovely lyrics, lovely performances, and it reminded me that I really need to pony up the cash to buy the Beatles compilation. I highly recommend watching the show. It can be found online at PBS. It's really fun when watching a show about music you love can broaden your horizons to music you may also love one you're exposed to it.

Edited to add:
Turns out Foo Fighters did a great cover of Band on the Run with a more hard rock edge to it. That is now my favorite rendition of the song. Hard rock guitar and drums... yum!

A Strange Sighting

2010-07-05T23:56:00.000-06:00

During last weekend's camping trip, we saw lots of animals: elk, deer, pronghorn, bluebirds, pelicans, magpies, prairie dogs, and this guy.
Yes, he looks like a little old man who lives in the culvert.
He is a porcupine!

El Dia del Padre

2010-06-20T13:41:00.001-06:00

Back on Mothers' Day, I wrote a post about mothers. Being an egalitarian, and an appreciator of fathers, I decided to do a companion post for Fathers' Day. Again, might be a bit hackneyed, but [shrug] that's the way it goes sometimes.
____________________________

I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but as I was cleaning out the basement and garage today, I thought how appropriate it is that I'm doing it on Fathers' Day. Never let it be said that my father doesn't know how to have a good time -- he does. He loves laughing and listening and telling stories with old friends and new friends alike. (We kids used to have a joke that our dad was eventually going to be friends with everyone in the world.) I learned (along with all my siblings) three things: that you must do the best job you can at whatever task you're attempting, that work is easiest done as a team - a machine in which each person is a part, working in concert, and that labors are best done sooner rather than later, or they'll collect on your back and weigh you down. Yes, that last one is the "why you should keep up with your homework" speech. (I have learned since then that sometimes when you procrastinate, it turns out that a job needn't be done at all when someone changes their mind, but -shhhh- that's not part of the current story.) So, today, on Fathers' Day, I celebrate the day by cleaning out and organizing the basement and garage. Appropriate, eh?

To Daddy:
Thank you for being there for us. Your understanding, caring, and consistent belief in our abilities to live and grow successfully - while tested often enough when we were teens - is a support system few are blessed to receive. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for being yourself. Thank you for showing us what the world might be like if we believe in ourselves. I love spending time with you, hearing about your adventures and projects, and telling you about mine. I love making you laugh. I love that you are open about your love for each of your children. I love you very much!

To My Brother-In-Law:
Happy Fathers' Day, dear brother. I love seeing what a great father you are. I love what a great team you and your wife make and I love watching your wonderful son grow and blossom under your love and care. My nephew is a very lucky little boy and so is his puppy dog. I know you will do wonderfully in the amazing/trying years ahead, but also know that we are here to support you!

And to all the other wonderful and loving fathers I know, Sam, JR, Mel, John A., Tom, Dave, Kevin, Jim, Matt, Vince, JTS, Mike, Gabe, Jason, Heath, and so many more:
Happy Fathers' Day, Dad/Pa/Father/Padre/Papi, you deserve a whole month of celebration for all that you do! Love to you all!

New Look #2

2010-06-18T22:08:00.000-06:00

OK. How about this one?

(Interestingly enough, Aileen saw the last design in the same way I did, but as communications is partly about what people perceive, I decided to change it...)

New Look

2010-06-17T23:30:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to update the look of the blog for quite some time, but haven't liked any of the new Blogger templates that much.

Until today. (Well, ok, it's been debuted this week, but it sounded more dramatic...)

I'm not completely sold on one particular template, but I'm liking a lot of the options here. And it's cool to play with! :D

Trying to Catch Up to the Wagon

2010-06-16T13:22:00.000-06:00

Ack!

I've fallen off the exercise wagon and because I haven't managed to get back on the proper sleep schedule to exercise in the morning as I like to do. (I have exercised in the evening before, but I leave work later, so it feels like I'm using my entire evening for that and none for other chores like vacuuming, mowing the lawn, cleaning out the catbox, etc.)
So, because I'm off schedule, I keep accidentally staying up late. (Chores + Internet usually add up to late.)

I will get back on the wagon. (Grrr...)

World Cup Soccer BEGINS!

2010-06-11T17:52:00.001-06:00

Englishman John Oliver from The Daily Show teases the American soccer team. The clips from the game and the American fans chasing John at the end are the highlights. Viva Futbol! Woo hoo!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

World Cup 2010: Into Africa - Two Teams, One Cup

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Dome Tour

2010-06-10T07:57:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I got to go up to tour the dome of our state capitol building (this is the view from the bottom). The fun part was going up stairs like these:

And the view from the exterior levels.

My job is cool. :D

A Study in Contrasts

2010-06-09T07:41:00.000-06:00

The Seattle Space Needle as Legos (from the UCFers)
St. Basil's Cathedral as a 3D puzzle (from Karen)

Thank you, everyone!

One of these was well documented and easy to assemble. The other? Mmm... not so much. The former I'll be keeping on my bookshelf. I'll let you guess which that is... :)

Cool Things: Stone Papers

2010-06-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

My new composition book, in which I write my blog posts, was an impulse buy at Target. When I picked it up, it felt different -- heavier, softer, more flexible. I looked at the label and it read:
Stone Papers
Made from stone
tree-free, acid-free, natural paper products made from all natural stone

Cool! I looked for them online, but their website was under construction when I visited it. I did find another, similar (I think) product that outlines the process (I'm assuming it's a similar process. It may not be.) pretty well.

I admit, I'm using my favorite pen, but the ink is received by the paper very smoothly, and I love how it feels!
I'm not sure if every Target has this product (online they do not) but it's worth checking out.

On Priorities, Part III: The Solutions

2010-06-07T07:18:00.000-06:00

In Part I, I brought my much ignored readers up to speed on where the issues began.
In Part II, I outlined my priorities.

In order to work towards a life that is guided by these priorities, I've have instituted the following goals:

Go to bed on time (9:30ish).
Get up early (5::30ish).
Exercise for an hour or so.
Eat breakfast.
Spend less time on the computer when at home.
Compose blog posts on paper first. (The three On Priority posts were done this way. I don't always follow the rough draft, but it gives me structure and a definable task.)
Accept invitations to friends' activities.
Plan my own activities/parties/camping trips/etc.
Don't turn on the TV while cooking. Cook, then watch a specific program while eating.
Read more books, either through audiobooks (while exercising/cooking/cleaning) or a real book.
Read something brief and upbeat (currently my compendium of Calvin and Hobbes strips) before bed every night.
Try to clean incrementally, don't wait 'til it gets out of hand.
Keep a list of upcoming tasks and do them one at a time. Slow and steady, like a mountain-climber.

I've developed these slowly over the past month. Part of this realignment has been because work let up a bit to allow me some time to think, but mostly I've been making small steps towards each of these for quite a while.
I'm hoping this plan to write off-line will work to reincorporate blogging into my schedule. So far, it has seemed to work well. Hopefully it will be enough of a priority that you'll see posts here more often!

Thanks, as always, for your readership. :)

On Priorities, Part II: The Reevaluation

2010-06-06T08:40:00.001-06:00

In Part I, I brought my much ignored readers up to speed on where the issues began. I felt like things were out of balance and I needed to reevaluate. Here are the results:

My Priorities:
Sleep - I like about 8 hours. I can do with less, but my day goes better with 8.
Food - Specifically healthy and flavorful food. It's part of my interest in feeling fit and healthy, but I also enjoy healthy food more. Granted, what I mean by that is yummy yummy vegetables, and not whole grain pasta (I still cannot get on that wagon) and tabbouleh every day. The beautiful pasta machine given to me last year is getting a workout. And when I am super busy at work, I eat frozen leftovers from The Hot Chick's Kitchen. They are much healthier than processed food, very tasty, and much appreciated in stressful times.
Fitness - Besides eating healthy foods and taking care of oneself when sick, I find fitness requires exercise. I don't get enough in my normal day and I really like to feel fit. Unfortunately, when I'm having a time crunch, sleep often trumps exercise.
Friends - It's no secret that I enjoy spending time with friends (this includes family, who are friends), though my close friends also know that I need time to myself (there will be a future post on this). I like to hear what people are up to and tell them my own stories as well. To share time for attention and appreciation and connection is very restorative for me.
Creating - Sometimes this is on a big scale, like putting a bathroom in the basement, but most of the time, this is baking gluten-free cookies for my aunt or inventing a soup for dinner.
Writing/Reading (as a subset of creating) - I'm a word craftsman by nature. I enjoy putting together a well-fashioned sentence/paragraph/letter/blogpost. I haven't written much lately, but I think about it a lot. Reinvigorating this blog is part of that effort.
Order - At times, I have perfectionist tendencies (sure, go ahead, laugh) but this does not translate into a drive to do housekeeping or yardwork. In fact, just yesterday, I got a notice about my grass being too long. (I cut it on Monday. The time lag on the notice is apparently a week.) However, I like having things relatively clean and orderly. It bothers me when things get too disorderly for too long. Unfortunately, I don't like the work involved in accomplishing that order.

Tomorrow, Part III, in which I reveal what the solutions are...

There's a Fungus Among Us

2010-06-05T14:51:00.002-06:00

This appeared in my backyard this morning. My first thought was WTF is that?
Not what it looks like, unless your innocent mind says "why it's a mushroom, silly!"
So, what kind of mushroom is that? Is it dangerous?
(Those of you who want to make a joke about The Mushroom That Impregnated New York can do as you please, as usual, but this is actually a real question as well.)

Addendum #1: You are no help at all in mushroom identification, folks. Turns out it's a "stinkhorn," with the totally obvious family name "Phallaceae."

Addendum #2: I sent the picture to the Mushroom Expert for his collection and he (very kindly!) replied:

Thanks for your e-mail. That looks like Phallus hadriani to me:

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/phallus_impudicus.html

. . . but the specimen is a little bit odd, because part of the "egg shell" stuck to the cap when it expanded, which doesn't usually happen. Neat!

On Priorities, Part I: The Problem

2010-06-05T08:31:00.001-06:00

First, my apologies on my long blogging absence. I'm not sure where it came from -- at least one of those weeks was a busy week at work, but what about the other ones? True, FB allows for quick, momentary statements of being, which satisfies the need to communicate, but it can't replace the blog for a good introspective wallow.

Part of it is the length of time it takes me to write. There's the actual writing and editing of the post itself, then there's the online procrastination - reading blogs and forums and playing FB games - that precede the writing of the post. There is also the researching of attendant links because I love the educational and interconnective aspects of internet writing. So, I've been avoiding the time sink. More specifically, I've been avoiding the computer.

I've been working on my priorities. My life's been feeling a bit out of whack since I got the new job and I know I feel happier when I'm spending time on the things that are important to me. I feel happier when I'm fit, am creating, feel connected with friends, and have mental and spiritual peace. In order to foster these, I have been correcting some imbalances. I've been weaning myself from the TV and internet at home. There are still pleasures to be had from watching a great TV show or an interesting blog event, but for the most part, I'd like to put them lower on the priority list.

Tomorrow, Part II, in which I expand on my priorities...

Blog Spin-Off

2010-06-03T21:20:00.001-06:00

(Wow! It's been 3 weeks since my last post. Yeesh.)

I've been trying to re-establish some priorities in my life (see upcoming post - no, really, I swear), and one of those is exercising more. Sure this can include activities, such as hiking or white-water rafting, but I really need to do it on a more regular basis. Like 3-5 times a week. I like feeling trim.

Several years ago, I was observing a leggy brunette getting into her Jeep Wrangler when I thought (not for the first time) "hmm... I really think active women are more attractive to me..." followed by (for the first time) "Hey, wait a minute, I'm an active woman like that!". So, fast forward a few years, past a long (2 year?) stint of going to a gym three times a week, to the present, after a year long exercise hiatus. I quit the gym when I lost my job and had been intending to set up a cheaper (read free or nearly free) exercise routine. For a year I've been intending to do this. And now, prompted by a gradual weight creep upwards and a gradual tightening of my clothes, I am motivated to Get To It.

Last week I managed to get up early enough to do a walk/run around the lakes, but the rest of the week I was working late. Because sleep is my top priority, if I work late (which means going to bed late), I sleep through my morning exercise period (6-7 am). THIS week however, I've managed to exercise two out of the last three days, so I'm calling this good habit STARTED. Tomorrow's looking promising too.

I have posted my good progress on Facebook, but it feels a bit repetitive there, so after I looked around the web for a good exercise tracker, I decided to make my own. It's called Active Accountability and it's a pretty basic log of a few stats and a few thoughts on the activity of the day. If you want to follow along, get some inspiration, give some inspiration, suggestions, thoughts, etc. please do. There's a link in this blog's sidebar, in case you don't feel like bookmarking it.

As I have said several times in the past week... I am looking forward to being in better shape!

PS - Another priority of mine is to blog here more, somehow without spending too much more time on the computer. I have an idea of how it will work, but we'll see! :)

My FABULOUS PRIZE

2010-05-10T21:54:00.005-06:00

I believe the established procedure is to exclaim:
"Loot! Loot! Loot for ME!"

Last week, Janiece asked for some feedback on what graphic she should use on her next set of address labels. She promised a prize, but I consider living within a short drive of Janiece to be a prize in itself.
Surprisingly enough, I actually won.

Today, my prize arrived... YAYAYAYAY!

Yes, those are the (in)famous Bonbon Bars!
Of course, when I was photographing the above, Matti had to check things out. :)

I've decided to save them for my visit with Susan next weekend. I find pleasures shared are generally twice as nice as pleasures alone.

How on earth am I resisting the siren call of the Bonbon Bars? Well, I don't think I could have if I didn't have these in the fridge:

Thank you so much, Janiece! You are the best!

El Dia de la Madre

2010-05-08T22:00:00.000-06:00

It might seem a bit hackneyed to do a blog post about Mothers' Day on Mothers' Day, but it seemed appropriate this year. I looked through cards and all of them used the word "Mom" (which is not our term of endearment) or were too syrupy sweet. My mother is an unusual woman. She is more sentimental now than she used to be (or used to admit to), but that doesn't mean a card will capture the complex relationship my mother (or really any mother) has with her progeny.

First, Mummy:
Thank you for all the sacrifices you've made for us. I'm so glad I could be part of your growth and you could be part of mine. Thank you for not killing me during my teen rebellion years, no matter how I deserved it. :) I love being friends with you. I love being able to trust you with my ideas and thoughts. I love making you laugh and I love talking about trivia. I love you very much!

Second, my sister:
Happy Mothers' Day, dearest sister. I love watching you be a great mother. My nephew is a very lucky little boy and so is his puppy dog. I know you'll have some grand times ahead and some frustrating ones. Know that you are supported through it all by love from all sides.

And to all the other wonderful and challenging mothers I know, Ruth, Stacey, Janiece, Karen, Rachel, Dena, Ginger, Heather, Belsum, Natalie, Jeri, Kimby, Bonnie, Krissy, and so many more:
Happy Mothers' Day, Mom/Mum/Ma/Mother/Madre, you deserve a whole month of celebration for all that you do! Love to you all!

Creative Space Making

2010-05-02T11:44:00.002-06:00

My brother sent me this fabulous video of a Hong Kong architect's idea of how to utilize a small space very efficiently. It's an example of function creating beauty.

My Baby, All Grown Up

2010-04-29T10:09:00.005-06:00

That building I worked on and showed pictures of to you for a couple years has one an award from the Downtown Denver Partnership. Here's a little video they put together for the occasion. (Yes, I'm cross posting this with FB, mainly because I have a couple readers who, while on Facebook, never go there -- I'm lookin' at you, Ruthie...)

To watch without the side chopped off, you can view the video at the original link or on YouTube.

Project Eyeball Repair, Part 1

2010-04-26T21:00:00.003-06:00

Companion piece to Jen Amber's extensive posts about her experience (1, 2, 3, 4):

This week I am going to get my eyes fixed.
After 27 years of wearing glasses and 23 years of wearing contact lenses, I will no longer be a "four-eyes." Though I don't actually recall being teased for having glasses, I am self-conscious in them. I don't feel at my best when wearing them. After the surgery, I won't feel fuzzy in the morning because the world around me is fuzzy (a gal I know said she used to use that fuzziness to shut out the world when she needed to focus on what was immediately in front of her). I won't have to worry about "what if my glasses break" or "what if I lose my contact lens". I won't have to worry about getting water in my eyes when I'm swimming or SCUBA diving. I won't have to carry a tiny screwdriver to tighten that loose screw in my glasses. I won't have to worry about carrying a contact lens case, airport approved size bottle of cleaner, and my glasses with me when I travel. And most of all, I won't have to worry about finding my glasses when I've misplaced them and can't see diddly.

So, how did I find the right place to go? I researched. I went to three different places before I found the right one.
The first place I went, Icon Lasik, was recommended by a former coworker, but seemed too "assembly-line" like. It ended up being the cheapest, about half the price of the other two. I decided to keep looking, just to see what else was out there.
The second place I went, Lakewood Eye Clinic, was recommended by three coworkers. It was much more personal than the other, but I still felt a little rushed and they were a little off-hand about everything. They also dilated my eyes with a much stronger substance than I'm used to and I was still having focusing issues 24 hours later (with no forewarning of a difference). This seemed careless to me. There was a delay in the scheduling, so I decided to keep looking.
The third place I went, Spivak Vision Center, was a place that initially had nothing more to recommend it than some good commercials on the radio. The process of evaluation, however, went smoothly, unrushed, with every test and every result explained. I happen to love information. Facts are what I use to make a majority of decisions in my life. Preprocessed or overly simplified information put me on my guard. The technicians and doctor I talked to at Spivak were clear and personable and most importantly, informative. They gave you a card for your records that had the name of every person you interacted with during your evaluation experience. I didn't feel rushed and though it was the most expensive of the three places, I found myself feeling like I was buying the best service, not like I was being squeezed for every penny. Best of all, they were happy to work with my usual eye doctor (who I like very much as he is extremely thorough and informative as well) for my pre- and post-operation examinations.

So, on Thursday, I will be driven to the surgery by my good friend, Stacey, and a careful and experienced surgeon will give me a highly customized surgery to fix my eyeballs!

Driving off the Goths

2010-04-25T12:28:00.003-06:00

On Saturday morning, I went to counter protest the Westboro Baptist Church. (Google them if you are curious. I'm not going to link to them here.) They are a bunch of extremists whose basic premise is the God hates homosexuals so much that he is destroying America for its tolerance of them and blacks, Jews, and pretty much everyone else who is not like them. (Where people get the idea that God and Jesus are white and the Bible was originally written in English is beyond me. I won't even get into their missing the point of Christ's message of universal love.) They came to Denver for a long weekend to protest various places and on Saturday (the Jewish sabbath, I'd like to point out) they decided to protest at several Jewish temples and community centers.

Here's how I got into the counter protest:
Hot Chick, Janiece, posted about her interest and ambivalence in going. On one hand, conventional wisdom is that one should not reward inappropriate behavior with attention. On the other, is being silent the equivalent of being complicit in their behavior? There was much discussion on Janiece's blog and I decided to join her when she decided to attend.
The day of the protest arrived and our ranks had swelled to four, including Janiece's Hot Daughter and our dear friend, Stacey. It was a cold, damp day and the WBC group was small and included a couple children. We followed them around to their various locations, stopping for coffee and then a delicious sandwich at the Spicy Pickle during the intermissions. Janiece gives a great summary of the day on her blog (with pictures!), so go there for more detail, but suffice to say, we felt successful at the end of the day. At the third venue, the WBCers left halfway through their allotted time (as specified in their protest schedule on their blog). I never thought that would happen!
Why did I end up doing it? Because I wanted the targets of the protests and the people who saw us by the side of the road to know that I don't agree with the sentiments professed by the WBC, and furthermore, that I cared enough to speak out against it. This is unusual for me, as I generally tend to live my beliefs, not try and change others minds, but I guess it was a confluence of circumstances -- me feeling more extroverted than usual, having friends I wanted to support, and a ridiculously wrong group (I find most groups to be varying shades of gray, but not this one) coming to Denver. And finally, I went because of what one of my favorite protest signs said, "Thanks Westboro, You're Only Bringing Us Together!"

And I'm glad I went. Otherwise, I'd never had found out that Godfrey is Love.

Sushi Queens

2010-04-24T17:53:00.000-06:00

I have, in the past, posted about a new discovery, Facebook games. I've had to cut back because it's a big timesuck. I gave up Farmtown, Cafe World, and Country Story (which was the hardest to give up as I "abandoned" some of my neighbors) among others. I have not given up Restaurant City yet.

I had a lovely garden cafe with a lovely entry and my sister, another RC restaurateur, has an English pub. She was considering quitting, as she had pretty much leveled up all the dishes that were appropriate to her venue and the place was well set up in its "narrative." When she said that, I thought "yeah, she's right. Maybe it's time to quit."

And then they brought out the Japanese themed decor and dishes. I was reeled back in.

I've set up a new restaurant, and started all the work of earning money to decorate it and level up the Japanese dishes. The tables are arranged around the grills, hibachi style, and I have a zen garden in the back. My sister offered her financial backing (buying me three of those nice black stoves) and is now an unofficial co-owner. I imagine it as if I were the manager and she the financier who comes in, hangs out at the sushi bar (all the servers know what she likes and brings it to her right away and on the house) and chills out in the zen garden.

MWT put together this image of the restaurant to show another player, so I stole it to show all of you. It's progressed a little since this image was taken, but not enough to put together a new image. (Thanks, MWT, by the way! :)

Speaking of MWT:
This is one cute tableau at MWT's restaurant. It looks like three cactus cowboys trying to corral a couple cats. Good luck, boys! ;)

Staircase to Heaven

2010-04-20T12:30:00.003-06:00

I was researching ships ladders online for work today and stumbled across this beauty. (Here's the article it comes from...)

My future hermitage will have one - heck, why not several? - of these.

Now That's a Knife

2010-04-18T19:22:00.006-06:00

As always, I had a wonderful time during my cousin and friend, Susan's, visit. She came down yesterday at about noon and we went shopping. First, to the Savory Spice Shop, where we got - you guessed it - spices and herbs. (One was a truffle salt that we are going to share, but Susan forgot to take her half.) Then, we stopped by a new place, In Season Local Market, that specializes in local produce. We purchased eggs (pasture-fed), yoghurt, mushrooms (elephant ear and some red-capped something-or-other), and soap. Then, it was off to one of my favorite places to empty my pockets, Sur Le Table. There, among other things, Susan contributed towards my latest birthday present, a new knife:

It's a lovely blade and I look forward to using it lots and lots! :D

It's always tough to avoid spending way too much at Sur Le Table, but I've never regretted a purchase from there, so I guess it's alright. Finally, we stopped by a pretty large Asian supermarket that a friend of mine pointed out to me that I hadn't checked out yet. It's pretty awesome, with great looking produce and a huge selection of ramen (they even had Tung-I!). I found the proper boba pearls (I'd like to learn to make "bubble tea"), mochi ice cream, and other fun stuff.

As Susan and I are fans of fine cuisine, we usually try to find ourselves somewhere delicious to feast. Yesterday, it was Brasserie Felix (which is only 1.5 miles from my house, so we walked). We had red wine (a Spanish Tempranillo), escargot, paté, beef bourguignon, and coq au vin. All was delicious. We ended the day with a long, deep talk, chocolate peanut nut dessert, and a chocolate digestif.

The next morning, after sleeping in as long as we dared, we put The Knife to work with the local produce we had bought. Here's the mushrooms and some bacon:

Added the eggs (they were mixed colors, indicating mixed breeds of chickens):

The final breakfast included: eggs scrambled with mushrooms and bacon, yoghurt sweetened slightly with honey (delicious!), Indian chai, and bread with apple butter and chokecherry jam.

I gave the knife a workout this afternoon, chopping up lots of veg for a lentil-rice-vegetable dish. It tastes yummy and has lots and lots of veg, but the lentils are way overdone. Note for all y'all: lentils do NOT need to be soaked prior to cooking, no matter what the package says.

Strange TV Happenings

2010-04-15T22:05:00.000-06:00

I, being a cheap bastard, only have network cable (the $15/month cable that I only have because with the internet, it's only $10/month). Magically, in the last few days, my selection of channels has doubled. I'm getting Siffy and TBS and The Food Network. I'm trying not to get too attached, as it might be all a mean trick. Unfortunately, I do not seem to get USA, which is the channel I think I miss most.
Very very odd.

Muppets Au Natural

2010-04-14T23:07:00.003-06:00

My love of the Muppets is well documented. Here is some grade A improvisational material, particularly the part at the beginning with Kermit and Fozzie. Don't miss them talking to the cows at the end!

PS - oh, yes. I should credit my friend Richard for posting this on FB. Thank you!

When I saw this...

2010-04-12T17:00:00.000-06:00

I thought of my good friend, Jen Amber.
This is the vault where they keep county records at a courthouse I visited recently. They're vaulted not to keep people away, but to keep the records in a safe environment. There are racks and racks of these books and when I saw them, I thought of Jen. She loves things with cool patterns and this was right up her alley.

:)

Warm Weather Dining

2010-04-11T21:25:00.011-06:00

It's Springtime! That means I can pull one of my favorite inventions again:
Quick Pasta Salad

The recipe is easy:
Start with a big bowl...

Cook pasta (elbows or shells are good because of their size and shape) and add frozen peas halfway through the cooking period. When they are done cooking, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Add to the bowl...

Add a drained can of cooked chicken or salmon or tuna...

Add three stalks of chopped celery...

Add a handful of finely minced parsley...

Add to taste mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and herbs (I use dill, celery seed, garlic salt, powdered garlic or onion, but other herbs like basil and oregano would work well.)

Mix well and viola! A big bowl of tasty pasta salad.

Das Restaurant

2010-04-06T10:23:00.004-06:00

Some of you may have heard me (in real life, not on this blog) rave about a little German/Hungarian/something-alpine restaurant I went to some years ago on the western slope. Well, as I am going to Montrose, CO, for a business trip, I decided that if I could find this little restaurant, I would make sure to arrange it so I could eat dinner there. (An early dinner, I would still have far to drive at that point!) And through the marvels of the internet, I found it! YAY!
It's called Rosi's Little Bavarian Restaurant in Glenwood Springs, CO. I had my very first taste of Hungarian Goulash there and I've never been the same since. ;)
Happily, in my online search, I also found three other promising restaurants, one right here in Golden. So, I'll be checking those out too - as a fact finding mission for my friends the Hot Chick and Her Smart Man and for my sister and brother-in-law. They're all fans of the German/Bavarian branch of cuisine, so it's the least I can do. The other restaurants are:
- Westfalen Hof Restaurant, Golden, CO
- Cafe Prague, Morrison, CO
- Budapest Bistro, Denver, CO

(PS - the other very good German restaurant I've gone to in recent memory is Black Forest Restaurant in Nederland, CO.)

(PPS - Found an interesting Westword post about East European Dining for those who are interested...)

More Internet Silliness

2010-03-31T14:30:00.005-06:00

Per the suggestion of this NPR article about "What does your birth date song say about you?" I checked.

I went to This Day in Music and put in my birth date.

My song?

Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver.
True enough. Sunshine on my shoulders DOES make me happy and I didn't really appreciate it until I came to Colorado. And I do love John Denver. His songs are sometimes a little simplistic, but dammit, sometimes I want the world to be a little bit simplistic and a lot more positive!

(No, this is NOT silly... it was on NPR!)

Birthday Weekend, Part 1

2010-03-27T11:06:00.004-06:00

I have a brief lull in my work schedule and I'm trying to get the Bathroom-in-the-Basement done, so I decided to take a couple days off work to do that and to relax a little for my birthday. The progress on the BitB is going well. I managed to get the tile walls grouted and Sunday I'll do the floor. Hopefully I can set up an appointment for the plumber to install the plumbing fixtures early next week. There are still quite a few things to do, but the end is in sight!

The birthday weekend had a good start when I found a box from Amazon on my doorstep. I opened it to find three books from my Amazon wishlist:

The packing slip said "Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday to YOU! Love, Michelle and Michael"
Thank you so much, Michelle and Michael! You guys are awesome. I love that you picked such a diverse selection. Big hugs!

Today I'm going to a friend's to help with a school project, to Janiece's for a little R & R, and then to another friend's to cook up some Indian food and do some socializing.

I love long weekends. You can get stuff accomplished AND relax!

WWA: Back At Home

2010-03-24T08:45:00.002-06:00

For those who enjoyed Michelle's Weekly Word Association last week, it's back in it's rightful home.

And Anne's Blog can go back to being the sleepy little town after the president's cavalcade passed through its one intersection.

Two Quotes

2010-03-22T22:52:00.004-06:00

I finished A Damsel in Distress by P.G. Wodehouse yesterday. It certainly is lovely to read something funny and sweet, even if it IS a romantic comedy. I thought I'd share a few lines with you that mixes the funny with the bittersweet:

"Hullo-ullo-ullo-ullo-ullo-ullo-ul-Lo! Topping morning isn't it!" observed Reggie. "The sunshine! The birds! The absolute what-do-you-call-it of everything and so forth, and all that sort of thing, if you know what I mean! I feel like a two-year-old!"
George, who felt older than this by some ninety-eight years, groaned in spirit. This was more than man was meant to bear.

But I guess that reads better in context. It really is funny when you can hear Reggie's infernal chirping as the foil of George's gloominess in your head. You kinda have to know why Reggie is so ebullient (just asked the girl he loves to marry him) and why George is so depressed (just found out the girl he loves is in love with someone else). I tried to include some part of the quote from before this piece, or after, but each time I tried, I wanted to include more of it. Just read the darn book, people. I know that except for the happy ending (hope I'm not spoiling it!), it's one I identify with and I find speaks volumes about life and how sometimes, even though crappy stuff happens, you don't have to lose your sense of humor or your impulse to do what's right.

How about another quote, this one from the Numb3rs finale. I liked the wedding homily so much, I saved the recording so I could transcribe it. It's read by Peter MacNicol, who will always be Peter MacNicol for me (except when he's Janosz in Ghostbusters II).

Peter MacNichol: At the request of the bride and groom, I'll keep my remarks short and non-technical.
As you all know, the four fundamental forces in physics: electro-magnetism, strong nuclear interaction, weak nuclear interaction, and gravity.
FBI Dude (ironically played by an actor who has an engineering degree from MIT): So I wonder what the technical version sounds like.
Peter MacNichol: I heard that.
We've been talking here about the forces that bind the universe. But what binds humans? Love. Powerful in small spaces, yet with profound effect on distance. Love defies time, outliving both its source and its object. Love is faster than light, for light requires time in order to travel through space, but love reaches its object instantaneously. Love journeys forever, into infinity, and it's here binding together two lives.

The wedding setting here was less of a significant point to me than an excuse for them to say something very interesting about the physics of love. This statement focuses on the love between humans because it's at a wedding, but I think this love can be felt to and from other things/entities. I know the love I feel for Nature, for my Boys, for my friends, and for my family are no less profound than the romantic love being spoken of in this wedding homily, but it's something I have to remind myself of all the time.

A Rare Political Post

2010-03-22T13:58:00.004-06:00

Some years ago, I became an independent when I became disenchanted with the political process. I realized that neither party is committed to governing. No, they are actually committed to perpetuating the political industry (a beast somewhat like the entertainment industry). In the following clip, the Daily Show court jesters do some pointing out of hypocrisy on both sides of the aisle. As usual, this is simultaneously entertaining and sickening. The second half of the "bit" however is an analogy between the political industry and professional wrestling that is so spot-on, I just had to share it with my two or three regular readers.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Crumbums & Fatcats

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

Never fear. I'll return to entertaining content tomorrow. :)

A Simile

2010-03-18T00:39:00.000-06:00

I am like a one-eyed archer. Totally lacking perspective.

Wednesday Word Game: The Road Show

2010-03-17T12:24:00.004-06:00

I just went over to Michelle's for a mid-day break and a peek at how her Wednesday Word Association game was going. I was sad when I arrived there and remembered that she is taking a well earned blogging break. So I decided to pick up where she left off and give the WWG a home until she's back (to let you know - she can really shake 'em down). If you're not clear on the ersatz "rules" take a look at the most recent game to figure it out.

This is an experiment, since I don't get quite the traffic that Michelle does, but I hope it entertains some of you.

The word is: cookie.

P.G. Coming To the Rescue

2010-03-15T23:37:00.003-06:00

I was at the library today to refresh my stock of audio books (did you know they have this series of educational audio books that covers everything from philosophy through physics? Very tempting if I could only decide where to begin!) and I came upon an old favorite, A Damsel in Distress by P.G. Wodehouse. I like it so much, I'm considering buying a copy of the audio version (already have it in print).
I was listening to it and while sympathizing with dear old George Bevan, also thinking on how he and his author take some of the same themes I've got in my life story and how they manage to turn it into a comedy. Granted, George has only just come to the realization that what he is missing is love, when he sees and falls in love with the adventurous Maude and she precipitously hops into his cab. Luck favors him during his moments of doubt and surrender. He is a fictional character, after all, and one cannot have him moping about for years on end as sometimes happens in real life.
That tiny detail aside, one can draw hope and inspiration from the example of a character who perseveres against seemingly insurmountable odds, (and to be truly Wodehousian, I need to insert a golfing metaphor here...) as a man might encounter when, off the tee, he finds that his drive, which seemed to fly towards the green as an arrow from the bow, has inexplicably sliced at the apex of its flight and deposited the ball betwixt a particularly rough patch in the weeds and the inviting curve of a sand trap. He does not bemoan (for long) the placement of Providence. No, he turns his mind towards a viable solution... wedge or niblick?

Thank you, P.G., for aiding this particular damsel.

Full Weekend

2010-03-14T22:40:00.006-06:00

It's been a good weekend. I haven't got everything done that I wanted to (ahem*Taxes!*ahem) but it was pretty full regardless.

Friday, after making it through a pretty busy week, preparing for a big presentation, I went home and made chicken and dumplings. I overcooked the vegetables just a tad, but I think I can avoid that the next time around. They were very tasty. I also found and bought DVDs of Monty Python's Holy Grail and Life of Brian that were only $6. This switchover to Blu-Ray has been great for my DVD library! I like listening to the commentaries while I'm doing other stuff.

Saturday, I was blessed with warm, sunny weather, so I took the bike out for a spin. Originally, I was just going to zip over the grocery store, but after I had to start it on the hill (thank goodness I live half a block from a steep hill!), I decided to go up and visit my sister and her family and charge the battery. Alex was in fine form, wanting to be read to and examining my glasses and the zippers on my jacket.
I did a bunch of painting downstairs. The claim that I was done painting was premature. When I went back to look at the paint job, it was uneven. >:( Grrr... I also worked on the vinyl tile. It's pretty close to being done. All of this seems to take a long time! I'm so looking forward to having it done.

Today, I painted some more, repotted some plants, put the ingredients for the Hungarian Goulash (prompted by an invite by Hot Chick Janiece that I unfortunately had to refuse) in the Crock Pot

then headed out to the office to get a head start on some of the work I have coming up next week.

The other cool thing I made this weekend were these:

It's the most addictive cookie I've had in a long time. It ranks right up there with seven-layer cookies. It's an amazing combination of chopped nuts, peanut butter, dark chocolate, and pink flake salt. I found the recipe at the Tasty Kitchen Blog. When I've eaten one, all I can do is sit and think about how I can rationalize having another. So, make these at your own risk!

Music + Science = Cool

2010-03-11T19:36:00.005-07:00

This made me think of Janiece's SmartMan...

From NPR's website, how to make a "junk" guitar. It even tells you how to make an electric junk guitar. How cool is that?

I Miss My Friends!

2010-03-04T22:37:00.004-07:00

A couple weeks ago, a bunch of friends, including a Hot Chick and Her Smart Man, went to Seattle to have fun without me. :(
Oh, I was invited, I just didn't have the funds to go along. I'm not saying they should have canceled the event, since I wasn't able to go, but the least they could have done was have a horrible time! But noooooo, they had to have a wonderful time...
:)
Seriously though, I was sad to miss out on the laughter, the sushi, the shoes, and the geek fun. I am starting an emergency UCF get together fund to make sure I can go to the next one.

In any case, my dear friends got me the super cool Lego version of the Space Needle pictured above. After I open it and put it together, I'll photograph it next to the 3D puzzle I got as a prize at Christmas. I'm pretty sure it'll be a study in contrasts. (My sister knows whereof I speak. :)
Thank you so much guys! It's wonderful that you thought of me! I missed you!

In fact, that could be said for most of my friends. Some of them are doing a great job of keeping in touch and not letting me get too focused on work. So I am getting to see a few of them, but I miss them all, nonetheless! Thank you, my friends, for being MY FRIENDS. You are awesome.

Getting Back Into The Swing

2010-02-22T12:43:00.003-07:00

First, a confession: I made bread -- baguettes, to be precise -- and didn't photograph them. They are all eaten and gone, probably within 18 hours of them coming out, warm and smelling delicious, out of the oven. I was working from my dad's King Arthur Flour recipe, and only during the shaping watched the accompanying DVD. I see now that there were things I could have done to make it better. I shall have to try again. [big sigh]

I'm also making progress on the BITB project. I spent some of Saturday finishing some tiling and cleaning up the tiling mess, then most of Sunday priming the walls. It gave me enough of a taste of the tedium that is painting that I flashed back to the tiresome few weeks just after I bought the house, during which I, mostly by myself, painted almost every room in the house. I remember thinking "What in the [heck] was I thinking? I hate this!" Of course, it all paid off during the last few years when I've had a lovely, colorful house with hardly any painting tasks. And this will pay off too, in having a lovely new bathroom, laundry room, and walk-in closet for myself and guests.

After the monster house-cleaning effort (as opposed to the monster-house cleaning, which is a different story altogether), I really felt like I was clicking back into sync with my home and my life. When the house is messy, I feel the weight of all the "should be doing" and when it's tidy and clean, I can really relax and enjoy my time out, whether it be reading, watching a movie, or baking/cooking.

I'll be busy again for the rest of the week, not on home improvement items, unfortunately, but I'll report on my activities probably on the weekend. (Unless, of course, something extremely entertaining or thought-provoking occurs, in which case, I'm sure I can find a few minutes to log on.

Until then, enjoy your week!

Boys on the Move

2010-02-18T18:36:00.003-07:00

I can't wait to meet my new canine nephew. He and Alex are going to have a wonderful time growing up together!

King of the DMs

2010-02-17T12:34:00.007-07:00

I've told you all about finding some D&D voyeur fun --
listening to some web comic guys and a geek blogger icon play D&D. One of the things I rhapsodized about was the excellent roleplaying. I did not specify, but should have, that some of the excellent roleplaying was by the DM ("Dungeon Master"), Chris Perkins. He really knows how to lead the entertainment without being controlling.

Recently, I was checking to see if there was a new PA/PvP D&D podcast. (I neglected to post about series 3, in which there is more excellent roleplaying, even to the detriment of the characters. I will remedy that below.) I discovered that they had done a *video* podcast with Chris Perkins and the guys who write and produce Robot Chicken. (No Seth Green, unfortunately.) They are a more subdued group than the PA/PvP boys, but that's probably because several of them are new to D&D. It throws into an even greater relief what a great storyteller Chris Perkins really is.

So, if you want to partake, here is the RSS feed for Robot Chicken plays D&D. There is an MP4 version and one for iPhones/iPods. It does take a few minutes to download, but it's done in a pretty high quality video and it's worth it to be able to see the action.

I rarely get fangirly over anyone, but his brand of awesomeness hits me where I live -- as a storyteller and creator. In the lingo of "kids these days," I <3 Chris Perkins.

Here, belatedly, are the links for the PA/PvP/WW D&D audio podcast, series 3:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8

And, periodically Chris has something interesting to say on his blog at Wizards of the Coast.

**Update**
Here is a better resource page for the Robot Chicken Plays DnD. They've switched to a YouTube format that is much quicker to download AND there are links to the same videos, but with Chris Perkins [sigh, cue starry eyes a la The Monkees] doing a running commentary on the game and on DMing.

No Architect Barbie

2010-02-15T15:18:00.002-07:00

Barbie apparently decided to make the "big bucks" of a computer engineer rather than the little bucks and big reputation of an architect. In some ways, I applaud her choice.
Here's a funny opinion piece about Barbie Not Becoming An Architect.

Bakery Goodness

2010-02-11T23:23:00.006-07:00

Eeek! Naked Sugar Cookies!

The Rosemary Butter Cookies that I need to work on to perfect. (I also need to get some "sanding sugar.")

There, all dressed and ready for Valentine's Day. :D

Who will be the lucky recipients? ;)

Spring Roll Fun

2010-02-07T08:00:00.005-07:00

A few years back when I was dating a fellow who was into everything Asian, I had a few revelations regarding Asian cuisine. One of those was Vietnamese spring rolls. I found from various online resources like this one that they were even easier to make than sushi.

On her last visit (after we were done tiling), my mum and I had spring rolls at a local restaurant. They were fine. Not great, but not bad either. She commented on what a nice healthy snack they would make and I pointed out how simple they are to make with the right ingredients. I gave her my stash of rice paper disks and promised to send the recipe (which are more like assembly instructions really). Then, either forgetting or being too busy, I didn't.

SO! Now it's time to show mum how to make them.

Here are the ingredients:
- rice paper wrappers (thin "paper" disks made of rice and tapioca, some are thicker than others. I like the thin ones, since the thick ones can be a bit too rubbery.)
- rice noodles (I use the "vermicelli" style, since the small texture is more to my taste. These must be "cooked" by softening in boiling hot water for a few minutes. Monitor for doneness, then stop cooking by drenching in cold water.)
- lettuce, chiffonade(ed?) (I use red or green leaf, but you could experiment with other leafy greens)
- carrots, shredded or julienned
- cucumber, julienned (use an English cucumber if you don't want the work of cutting out the central seed portion of the typical cucumber)
- bean sprouts
- minced herbs, Thai basil, mint, and coriander are best, but regular basil would be ok too.
and
though it's typically done with steamed shrimp, I've done it with sauteed tofu here. (Fresh, baked tofu bought at a local Asian market sauteed in toasted sesame oil.)

Ultimately, you can put in whatever you like. Feel free to experiment (though I can tell you right now, celery is a little too difficult to bite through to be easily incorporated). The Steamy Kitchen cookbook I got recently has a pork filling similar to this one. Ultimately, I'll probably try that. But the one I'm showing here is the one I know best.

One must is to have a dipping sauce or two. How good of a sauce determines some of your success. This recipe has two fairly basic ones, a dip based on fish sauce and one based on hoisin sauce and peanuts (though another one somewhere said to mix chunky peanut butter and hoisin sauce, with warm water to thin it). I, unfortunately, went with packaged sauces and wasn't super happy with the results.

Well, on to the procedure:

Collect all your ingredients. As with stir-fry, there is no time to do prep after you've started.

Once you have everything ready to go, put a disk of rice paper wrapper into a bowl of hot water. It will begin to soften gradually. Take it out when it's softened but you can still feel a little bit of the structure of the wrap. It will continue to soften after you take it out. Leaving it in longer risks easy tearing.

Lay out the softened disk carefully.

Layer on the fillings you want. Here, I've done lettuce, then a bit of the rice noodle, then the sauteed tofu, then carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, and herbs. Later, I put the tofu down first so that it showed better through the thin wrapper when I rolled it up. Try not to do too much (this one probably is close to being too much) and keep it contained to the lower half of the wrapper.

Pull up the lower half of the wrapper, rolling the filling into a log. Try and keep it nice and tight. (Hint: doing this one handed while taking a picture with the other is NOT a good way to do this.)

Fold in the two sides. Luckily, the wrapper will stick to itself, making this easier. Then, continue rolling into a log.

Presto. Finished product. Eat these fairly soon after making, as rice noodles and rice paper don't keep well in the fridge. Experiment with fillings, find your favorites. Have fun with it.

Ramen Test, Part 2

2010-02-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

Some time back, JTS sent me a care package full of imported ramen soups:

The intention was to give me a REAL selection for the second phase of my ramen test tasting.

It took me a while, but I have the final results:

Flavorful and spicy

This one surprised me. It's beef flavored, but has spices that make it taste like pho. (As much as any pre-packaged product can approximate that deliciousness.)

This one is much like the first, flavorful and spicy.

The final three, the Sapporo Ichiban and the Tung-I, I saved for the last, as they were cited as favorites by MWT and JTS's lovely wife. That is endorsement enough for me!

I wasn't sure what to expect (would it have the same pho flavoring?), but what I found was that this is a simple, but well done soup. The flavor is tasty and not flashy. I was not sure what to think. Then...

Here's the funny thing. I'm not a big fan of the shrimp flavored ramen. I don't dislike it, but I generally choose something else. The spicy shrimp flavor is better (as with the ones tested above). However, when I had the shrimp flavored Sapporo, it was the answer to the question generated by the beef flavored Sapporo. I'm not a big fan of shrimp flavor and this one... was GOOD. Really good. Nothing hidden with extra salt or hot spices, just very good flavor. That is what Sapporo Ichiban does well -- nothing flashy, just smooth, good flavor.

After the revelation of the Sapporo, the Tung-I was a little anti-climactic. It was good, but the flavorings were a little different, a little alien to me. It was a little heavy on the star of anise than I usually like. I would like to try Tung-I with a different flavor, so I'll keep my eyes peeled.

I HAVE been visiting the local Asian markets lately. I went to one on Federal that I'm sure (from the ahem style of the chaos) is visited by the local immigrants. Very different in tone is the one at Sakura Square. I'm sure that one is mainly visited by Western urbanites with a "yen" for authentic Asian ingredients. To be perfectly honest, I liked the tidy vegetable section with the beds of ice. The selection was better too. There's a third one I'd like to look into, on Alameda between Sheridan and Wadsworth. It looks bigger than the other two put together, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they have. And I could have sworn there was an Asian market on the way to my sister's, but it doesn't seem to be on Sheridan, so I'm guessing it was on my old route on Lowell. We'll see.

Any who... the results. I'm now a big fan of Sapporo's mellow flavor. I'd like to try other flavors of the Tung-I if I can find them. And, although it's not as good as having real pho, I'd like to see if I can find the "yummy red man" brand (take a look at the package if you wonder where I came up with that). I'm sure none of these choices are as cheap as the ramen one can get at King Soopers or Safeway (I've found Sapporo Ichiban for about $.75 a package) but I would say it's generally worthwhile. Sapporo is less salty than those more convenient brands. I will still get Maruchan's Creamy Chicken flavor, since it's one of my favorites and I've seen no other brand with that flavor. However, since I plan to visit an Asian market more often in the future, I think I can manage to keep stocked up with Sapporo.

Thank you again, John. This was fun. :D

Quality of Writing

2010-01-28T16:52:00.001-07:00

While I've been working, I've been listening to audiobooks borrowed from the library and stumbled across an interesting contrast.

I read a couple of murder mysteries by Kate Wilhelm, the first two books from the Barbara Holloway series (Death Qualified and The Best Defense). (Mysteries are generally lightweight enough that I get the right level of involvement.) Her books were readily available, so I didn't have to wait. They were both good. The intricacies of the plot were reasonably handled, though in both there were a couple points that didn't carry through -- that might have been because I wasn't paying attention all the time.

Then, a book I had requested came available -- James Patterson's 1st to Die, the first book in his Women's Murder Club Series. It is definitely not as good. The heroine is melodramatic and the secondary characters are highly stereotypical. Peoples' actions appear nonsensical because he's pushing them unnaturally into a predetermined plot. The plot was very intricate and dramatic and had some interesting twists, but the characters were like a faint fingernails-on-the-chalkboard in the background. He uses what I call "literary shortcuts" that I dislike, especially when I see them in my own writing.

I think, in the future, I'll go for Wilhelm's more realistic plots and characters, even if they are less thrilling.

Slight SPOILER below:
_______________________________

(As a side note: What IS it with female leads falling deeply in love and then having their beloved die at the end? Can't have happily married (or otherwise relationshipped) women... no conflict, I suppose. That is one reason I like the TV show "Medium." The lead is happily married - though they have the inevitable occasional squabbles - with fairly realistic children.)

Too Right

2010-01-26T00:54:00.003-07:00

Funny quote from a co-worker of mine:

[after a joke from me about the rest of my officemates leaving "early" at 5 and being "slackers."]

"Everyone looks like a slacker relative to you."

Heh.

I think that just shows how much better adjusted my coworkers are. (Another way spouses are useful: keeping things in perspective.)

With any luck, after the two deadlines I have in the coming week are past, I'll be able to play slacker myself and use some of the comp time I'm stocking away.

Temptation

2010-01-22T20:01:00.003-07:00

I've been blessed with a windfall of gifted cookbooks lately. Above (being investigated by Martin) are Comfort Classics : 150 Favorite Home-Style Dishes by Weight Watchers and The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner by Jaden Hair, given to me by the Hot Chick with a fabulous bod and her Smart and thoughtful hubby. I can't wait to try some of the recipes within. They all look healthy and tasty and really, who could ask for more?
Well, there IS more! Michelle randomly ;) sent me another cookbook, Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum. I don't bake a lot of cakes, except when prompted by nostagia (sorry, the only post on that I could find did not have a good photo of a poppy seed cake), a special occasion, a dinner party, or a fabulous photo, which this book has in spades. Now, keep in mind, one of my most spectacular food related failures was cake related, but that's never stopped me from trying something new. And I can't wait to try one of these.

Except that I do have to wait.
For the last month or so, I've been forging on steadily towards two deadlines that occur in the next two weeks. For the last fortnight or so, I've been doing quite a bit of overtime. Enough that Janiece took pity on me and froze some homemade meals for me to eat for dinner when I'm working late. Thank you, my dear. They are providing me with a smile and sustenance in the evening hours before I dive back into the work.

Why do I work so late or so hard? Because I like for my projects to succeed and for my work product to be something I'm proud of. I also often do projects that are stretches for me professionally. This doubles my interest in doing well (I'm not really into excuses) and increases the steepness of the learning curve. Luckily, I love a challenge and have a knack for learning quickly. My job keeps me on my toes, and with any luck, there'll be a brief lull in the work load in the next month or so during which I can take some time to get back to some of the chores (and delights) that are being pushed into the corners right now.

___________

In other news, my friend Shawn, of whom I spoke in my last post, is doing fine. He and his family are experiencing what it's like to be bathed in the light that humanity can bring to dark situations. His primary emotions are Profound Gratitude and Humility and if you'd like to see his own words, you can read it on his blog (this post is a particularly interesting way to describe his last month or so).

A Full Weekend

2010-01-17T21:00:00.003-07:00

Had a full weekend, even without adding work into the mix.
I spent Saturday with family:
- seeing my nephew taking pride in his new ability to walk
- making chicken wonton soup with my sister
- eating toad-in-the-hole made with brats (Mmmmmm!!!)
- making chocolate chip cookies that ended up a little flat (guess we need more practice, eh?)
- chatting with my brother about work and life

Then, on Sunday:
- had brunch with Hot Chick Janiece (who's looking hotter and hotter with her healthy lifestyle changes) and her Smart Man
- Janiece and I did a little shopping and then went to get pedicures (Janiece, a delicate lavender, me, deep blue. Winter is the time to experiment with toenail colors.)
- The very kind and thoughtful Janiece gave me frozen dinners for the times I need to stay late at work and the Smart Man gave me more music to listen to. It's tough to find better friends than these. :)
- when I got home, I got moving on a bunch of chores that had gotten a little out of hand, and though I didn't get *everything* done, I made some good progress.
- I also made a broccoli, mushroom, and rice fritatta to eat for breakfast for the coming week. I'll spare you the pictures, since I plan to do this regularly from now on. (My metabolism works much better, I've found, when it gets an early start.)

A lot of this domestic, familial, and friendship-related contentment was brought into sharp contrast when Janiece and I received texts that our good friend Shawn Powers' house burned in a fire. All the family is safe and sound, but all their possessions were destroyed and their pets (several dogs and a cat) were killed. As Shawn says in his own blog report, "Their loss is the roughest part right now, as everything else that was lost is just stuff." I know that's the part of it that hits me the hardest. When I got home, I couldn't sit down for more than 2 minutes without one or the other of the cats sitting on my lap and, even more than usual, it was tough to evict them. Life is so uncertain. Who knows when it might be the last time you get to pet your animal or kiss them on the head? Or the last time they tickle you with their whiskers when they want you to get up and feed them or let them out? I'm so glad that Shawn's family are safe and experiencing the love and support of their friends and community, but I grieve deeply for the animal friends that they lost.

RIP, furry friends.

This I Believe 2010: Conclusion

2010-01-09T23:36:00.004-07:00

After I wrote my thoughts on where I am belief-wise at the beginning of the year, I continued to cogitate about it. I came up with the following surprising conclusion:

My 2009 left me feeling a little lost and... well, kind of empty. My recent insight? Empty is where things begin.

And that? Is curiously comforting.

Leek and Rice Fritatta

2010-01-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night, when we had a snowstorm that forced me home, I took the opportunity to make a frittata that would provide me with yummy breakfast for a week. Here's how I got to the delicious results:

When I put together a mise en place photo, I found this delightful view almost by accident. Ingredients collected: thinly sliced leeks, minced mushrooms (white and cremini), garlic, 3 cheeses (Parmesan, Swiss, and mozzarella) cooked rice, eggs, olive oil.

First, I softened the leeks and mushroom in the garlic and olive oil. (Some sauteing, but mostly with a lid on to steam.)

Then, I added the cooked Basmati rice and sesame seeds.

When these were warmed through, I added the eggs beaten with shredded mozzarella and Swiss. This, I thoroughly mixed together with the vegetables, and then put on the lid to set.

It cooked for 10 minutes, after which I took off the lid and sprinkled on a last measure of Parmesan and put the pan under the broiler for a lovely bubbly and brown top.

It's Pimpin' Time

2010-01-06T20:11:00.004-07:00

My dear friend and cousin, Susan, has finally started a blog. In character with her interest in edible creativity, it is a food blog. She was inspired by a post by preeminent food blogger, Michael Ruhlman, but you'll have to go to her blog to find the link. ;) Susan is my chief sous chef and I am SO looking forward to seeing what she puts forward!

Put Tiny Kitchen Triumphs on your Google Reader or favorites list and keep an eye on this gal. She is wonderful!

This I Believe, Addendum

2010-01-05T15:33:00.003-07:00

Here is a brief description on what comes to my mind when I contemplate "the power of positive thinking ." THAT is what I work towards in daily life and sometimes fall short of. The other, controversial, results of positive thinking are secondary and incidental. If they happen, great. If not, I still get the primary benefits, which is what I intended in the first place.

Progress

2010-01-02T23:48:00.004-07:00

Finally posted photos thus far of the progress photos for the bathroom-in-the-basement project. Here's the most recent view:

Many many thanks to my hardworking Mum, who put in two and a half days of free work, helping me tile.

This I Believe - 2010

2010-01-01T19:52:00.004-07:00

My good friend, Janiece, introduced the idea of doing a blog entry called "This I Believe" for the new year. After investigating what that idea really meant, I decided to do it too. It's been a while since I've posted a "Deep Thoughts" post. Janiece followed through on her commitment, and here's mine:

To be brutally honest, this has been a difficult year for my belief system. The Universe broke up with me and I really had a crisis of faith (or, what passes for that for an agnostic). I am puzzled, frustrated, saddened, resigned, and feeling deeply guilty for feeling a lack of something when I am blessed with so much.

While I have heard "the power of positive thinking" much maligned in some venues I frequent, I do think that the idea has some merit. (People who try to be positive are more pleasant to be around and to aid in their efforts. People who are negative and bitter are best avoided.) However, I have found that my own positive thinking in certain areas have yielded me exactly bupkus. As have every other ancient advice bon mots on what to do and what not to do. So, in the face of blinding failure, I was left with a giant question mark. There was nothing else to try. Did I want to continue banging my head against a concrete wall? No, I decided, I did not. So, I gave up. (Which distressed my more positive friends, but c'est la vie.)

I think one song has really given me a touchstone to work towards:

Que serà serà
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que serà serà

My crisis of faith made me even more of an agnostic than before. My deepest belief at this moment is that I know nothing about how or why the Universe works the way it does. It may not even be my job to figure it out. It IS my job to do the best I can with what I'm given and to leave the world better than I found it.

----------------

This was excised from the post to make it more concise, but here are my rambling thoughts:

I'm not sure what beliefs I'm left with except some pretty basic tenets:
- How you behave and how you treat others (all part of what you think and feel) directly affects how people see you and how they interact with you.
- Life is unpredictable, in both negative and positive ways.
- Focusing on the moment is a good way to put worries and frustration in perspective. They are both about dwelling in the future.
- Focusing on the moment is also a good way to put analyzing past failures to rest. After a while, that kind of dwelling ceases to be useful.
- Comparing your life to others' doesn't help.
- Sometimes things are not in your realm of control.

Avatar: WOW!

2009-12-26T22:23:00.004-07:00

Ahhhhhh...
There's nothing quite like seeing a really excellent movie. It's sad that it happens so rarely.

I saw Avatar today.
Wow, was it ever a fantastic movie!
I've seen comparisons of it to Star Wars (the best one is Jim's). The comparison is apt in many ways. It is truly an amazing technical piece that takes movie story-telling to a whole new level. (Remember how amazed we all were with how realistic Gollum was? Multiply that by 10.) And the funny thing is, the criticisms I've seen about the movie, about it being too simplistic, too predictable, those are all criticisms that have been leveled at Star Wars. All those "stereotyped" characters are also archetypes. So yes, the Noble Savage is not so generally wonderful as portrayed, and the Military is not so generally single-minded as protrayed, but it is in the context of a fairy tale and we have the knowledge that real life is not so simple.
It is fun, the writing is great (don't believe the critics!) and so is the acting. I love how the hero shrugs off digs on his intelligence because of his profession. "Yeah, whatever you want to think," it seems to say. Sam Worthington, the actor playing the hero is great. He really manages to embody the curious, eager, passionate, courageous, and charismatic character. (I saw an interview later in which he talks about how he felt that a hard core Marine would be difficult for people to access and identify with, so he modeled the impetuous, childlike nature on his 7-year old nephew. It was a brilliant move, because that excitement and energy really carries you into the movie.)
The animation was fantastically done and the emotional value of the natives really comes through. It helps that it's modeled after real people. Little details really made a difference, and yet there was still an alien feel to them. They weren't just people with funny ears or bumpy foreheads. The world really felt real to me and I was sad when the movie ended. I wanted to get back in line and watch it again (this time in 3D) IMMEDIATELY! :D

I will watch it again in the theater. I will see it in 3D, as I understand that takes the fantasticness to an even higher level. SQUEE! I can't wait! :D

_________________

I also got some awesome cookbooks from Hot Chick Janiece. I really look forward to using the recipes in my day to day cooking! :D Thanks so much, hon! I really wish I hadn't forgotten your (actually, Boogie's) gift at home!

First Present

2009-12-24T22:01:00.004-07:00

This morning, on my way to work, I thought I saw a beached cloud. At least, that's what it looked like. It wasn't up in the brilliantly sunny sky like it was supposed to. No, this one was lying on the ground near the highway. Very peculiar.

Work was very productive (as it usually is when I'm at work when no one else is around). I felt good enough about what I was doing that I regretted having to leave it unfinished. AND I was learning a cool program (Google Sketchup). It's very intuitive and it's free!

I spent the evening with my family, eating yummy Crockpot lasagna and talking about nonsense, as usual. My nephew kept us entertained and my latest marshmallow experiment - vanilla marshmallows made with honey, sesame and poppy seeds - turned out well.

This evening, I returned from my brother's house and decided to check that I didn't have any presents tucked into the inside corner of the front porch. Good thing I did, because sitting there unobtrusively was a gift package from the lovely and talented Jen A.

Inside was a thoughtful card, cookies, a cool reusable bag, a lovely bracelet (perfect color for me!), and a sweet little keychain with a pair of people hugging. I love it!

The bag was a really clever design and quite attractive when open.

Thank you so much, Jen! You are wonderful!

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays to everyone!

Something to Think About

2009-12-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

My wonderfully thoughtful friend, Janiece, posted today about a series of essays that probe into what one believes.

I followed some of the links she included and found this fabulous essay by Norman Cousins. It really says a lot about the human condition in a short space and I highly recommend reading or listening to it.

1001 Tales AND Gifts From the East

2009-12-21T21:37:00.006-07:00

Just noticed that the last post was my 1000th post, which makes this one = 1001. Here's to another thousand posts, just as random and personal as the last thousand posts. :)

Today, I found a package on my front porch -- a package that had been threatened by one John the Scientist, infamous sender of such heinous delicacies as Durian Cookies and Swallows Nest Soup. He also forced a member of the UCF to eat stinky tofu at gunpoint. (Ok, maybe it was his finger pretending to be a gun, or maybe it was just strong peer pressure. Nathan can be a big pushover sometimes...)
Anyway, it wasn't without some trepidation that I opened the box. Who knew what vile edible items lay in wait within?

Turns out, some pretty cool edible items did.

Remember my post about taste testing ramen?

John sent me a variety pack of different brands of ramen, mostly in the beef or seafood/shrimp flavors.

Neat! I'm looking forward to trying them. MWT's favorite, Sapporo Ichiban is there, as are a number of other essentially (because I can't read Korean or Japanese, though I can identify them) nameless brands. There are two made in the US and marketed for Asians (Sapporo Ichiban is one). One is from Hong Kong, one from Korea, and one from Vietnam.
Squee! This is going to be fun. :D

Thank you, John!

Edited to Add:
Michelle has posted on her latest mystery package from John. As MWT says elsewhere: "Yay tentacles. :) Nomnomnom..."

MWT has also posted on some tasty sounding Asian treats from John. Which confirms things for me, I'm making rice krispy treats for Christmas!

Not Present

2009-12-20T22:14:00.002-07:00

I think this photo pretty much sums up how out of touch I've been for the last few weeks. I discovered this a few days ago. Obviously, I haven't been drinking much milk lately. Fear not, I poured the milk... or cheese... down the drain.
I hope things are improving, but holiday craziness should eventually die down. I do have things I've been doing and can chat about, but I just haven't had the time or the energy to post about them. We'll see what I can do about that in the near future.

In the meantime, I need to go to bed. I would like to get up early-ish so I can do some quick chore things. My parents are coming to stay for a few days tomorrow and I like for things to at least be presentable... :)

Can't Catch a Brake

2009-12-14T23:08:00.003-07:00

(Attention: bad pun only tangentially related to actual problem.)

Monday, on my way to work, I had the wonderful experience of seeing smoke/steam streaming from under my hood and the temperature gauge spiking at the top end of the gauge. I got off the interstate, popped the hood to allow it to cool. I found lots of steam and green goo (coolant) decorating the inside of my engine compartment.

After a couple phone calls, I ended up buying a gallon of water to put in the radiator (after it had cooled, of course) and taking the long (lower speed) way to the mechanics.

I'll confirm the details when I pick up the car Tuesday morning, but it seems* that the radiator was cracked and needed replacement.

Why is it that my car waits until my savings account is severely depleted before having serious problems?

* Stay tuned for more accurate techno-babble...

Holiday Crush

2009-12-13T12:36:00.002-07:00

I hate the "sorry I haven't been posting" posts, but this one will serve also as a run down on how my life is going recently:

- Historic Preservation project at work that has three days of exterior work planned for next week (was planned for last week, and fortunately able to be rescheduled, or we'd have been popsicles)
- Design project at work with an extremely short schedule, understaffed, and the client refuses to take any responsibility for decisions
- Cookie Exchange Party next weekend (I have no time for anything new and fun, so it'll be baklava, I think)
- Insulation needs to be put into the above ceiling (above grade) portions of the BitB (Bathroom in the Basement) project. I was thinking I'd do it this morning, but I "wasted it" sleeping in and relaxing.
- Drywall insulation on the BitB, scheduled for Wednesday evening.
- Making a Christmas gift for my nephew
- Buy a Christmas gift for ... someone in my family.
- Go through the finances to make sure that my household finances on track and the BitB project won't go over budget. (Need to pay some people next week.)

Addendum: Just foiled an escape attempt by Matti by grabbing him by the tail as he jumped off the railing. (Didn't plan it, just reacted.) I held him in my arms as soon as I hauled him close enough and even moments afterward he didn't seem too worse for the wear. A bit shocked at myself, but it turned out OK. Whew! I'm super glad I didn't hurt him.

Motivation

2009-12-09T09:31:00.002-07:00

If you want to generate a sudden and intense cleaning frenzy, invite an electrician or two over to do some work. The fine layer of gritty drywall/plaster dust left behind will drive you to it, no matter how late it is.

Interesting Quote

2009-12-08T12:26:00.001-07:00

"Love is friendship on fire."

A friend of mine posted this on her Facebook page. It is compelling in its simplicity and definitely thought provoking.

Hmmm...

Mmm... Baking Tools

2009-12-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

My lovely friend, Tania, recently downsized her household and wanted to get rid of some pans. I, always on the lookout for cool free stuff, volunteered to receive them. Yesterday they arrived -- two springform pans with molded inserts, one tube cake pan, and one giant heartshaped cookie cutter (?). She also sent along some fun gifts, coffee beans, birch syrup, cat treats, and catnip (yippee!) for the cats.
Thank you so much, Tania!

(((((Hugs!)))))

Silliness

2009-12-05T20:36:00.003-07:00

I was getting ramen soup at the grocery store yesterday (yes, I still eat ramen, even though I have a job) and had an idea. I always buy the same brand. What if I had a taste test between my brand and the other one (which was twice as expensive)?

So, here are the results:

On the left, we have the current favorite, Maruchan. They have a greater variety of flavors, including "roast chicken" and "creamy chicken" (the latter of which is my favorite).
At $0.17 per package at King Soopers, it's also the cheapest.

On the right, we have the challenger, Top Ramen. They have fewer flavors, though they have one non-standard flavor "picante beef" that sounds interesting (actually that's what a cheesy marketer might call pho...). At $1.00/3 packages at King Soopers, cheap, but not as cheap as the other.

Long story short, the Maruchan is still my favorite. Top Ramen had a peculiar aftertaste (no doubt they both have peculiar tastes, but I'm just used to the Maruchan) and seemed a bit oily (though the nutritional data on the package is the same). The noodles in the Top Ramen seemed a bit better quality, but not enough to offset the difference of flavor.

Long live Maruchan...

Yes, I'm still silly.