I've had a couple of musical experiences recently that have really heightened my desire to join a choir, which is one of my 101 goals.
On December 16, Margo and I went to see the Northwest Boychoir perform at a church in West Seattle. It was unbelievable. Words cannot really express what a powerful experience ti was for me. I even cried a little bit. One of the coolest things about their annual Christmas season show (A Festival of Lessons & Carols) is that the audience has multiple opportunities to sing during the performance. This was particularly glorious because we were singing with the amazing choir AND we were singing in a church with fantastic acoustics.
Watching that choir perform, and being able to sing with them intermittently during their performance, really heightened my awareness of how much I am missing singing in my life. I was in choir from 4th grade to 12th grade(edited from the previously incorrect 4th grade to 12th grade), and my family also led church music on a regular basis all through my high school years. I also helped my friend Jenny lead the music at her church's vacation bible school every summer. I didn't join choir in college because it was too many days per week and I really did not like the choir director. It's been years since I was singing with any regularity, and I miss it so very, very much.
The other experience this month that also contributed to my awareness of this hole in my life was singing at my mom's church for Christmas Eve mass. My mom goes to the most amazing Catholic church in Spokane. If that church were here, I would be there every week, in spite of all of my issues with the Catholic church and my own spiritual uncertainty. My mother and my younger brother and my sisters and my sister-in-law and I worked on a three-part version of O Holy Night that we sang together at church prior to the start of Mass. In addition, the church choir director was gracious enough to allow me to attend rehearsal before mass and sing with the church choir for Christmas Eve mass. It was really wonderful to be singing and to be a part of that.
This all adds up to my realization that not singing regularly has been a neglect, an abandonment, of an important part of myself. In many ways, I think I have been able to access my spiritual side most easily through music. Regardless of what I do or do not believe, singing connects me to something greater than myself, and provides me with a kind of joy that nothing else can quite replace.
So the hunt for a choir to join is on. One of the challenges is that there are just so many community choirs in Seattle. I'm also intimidated by having to audition, after being out of practice for so long. Fortunately, singing for Christmas Eve mass helped to remind me that I am still capable of sight reading and picking up a part pretty quickly. After having just sung for church or school before, I have also been surprised by the costs associated with joining a community choir. I will be sure to keep you all posted, however.
Hope you all had a happy holiday season and are anticipating a joyous new year.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
16 Days (and counting) Without a Phone
And guess what? I'm still alive! Which is not to say that it hasn't been an adjustment, because it certainly has. It's been more than eight years since I got my first cell phone, and I've had one within arms reach nearly 24 hours a day since then. That's roughly 72,000 hours with a cell phone. In spite of all my big talk about getting rid of my phone, I have to admit that I was a little nervous.
There have certainly been some inconveniences involved. Perhaps the saddest thing so far was that I didn't get to talk to any of my family on my birthday. I left home extra early that day and then didn't get home until after 9 that night. If I'd had my phone, I would have spoken to most of them that day. The other thing that I find myself missing is texting Margo throughout the day.
The benefits have definitely outweighed the inconveniences, though. One of my motivations for getting rid of my phone was that I felt that I was using the phone as a way to distance myself from the people I care about most. Texting can be an efficient way of getting or communicating information, but it bypasses all of the relationship-maintaining small talk that happens when you are actually talking to someone. I have definitely been talking to the people I love more. I've spent somewhere upwards of five hours on the phone (or skype) this week, and that was all during the week.
The other thing that I've noticed is that I used my phone a lot to keep me occupied while waiting for things (like the microwave, the train, the commercials to be over) and not having the phone has forced me to be more present wherever I am. I've also made it my goal to spend my time waiting for the microwave at work doing squats and lunges. Seems like a healthier alternative.
The next thing to tackle is my computer use. I think that I've replaced much of my phone use with the laptop. It's been especially bad since Margo has been out of town. My goal starting tomorrow is to spend 30 minutes or less on the computer in the evenings after work. The only exception being if I am cooking from a recipe on the computer or am following directions for a craft project on the computer. Hopefully by putting it out there to you all, I will be more accountable for that commitment.
There have certainly been some inconveniences involved. Perhaps the saddest thing so far was that I didn't get to talk to any of my family on my birthday. I left home extra early that day and then didn't get home until after 9 that night. If I'd had my phone, I would have spoken to most of them that day. The other thing that I find myself missing is texting Margo throughout the day.
The benefits have definitely outweighed the inconveniences, though. One of my motivations for getting rid of my phone was that I felt that I was using the phone as a way to distance myself from the people I care about most. Texting can be an efficient way of getting or communicating information, but it bypasses all of the relationship-maintaining small talk that happens when you are actually talking to someone. I have definitely been talking to the people I love more. I've spent somewhere upwards of five hours on the phone (or skype) this week, and that was all during the week.
The other thing that I've noticed is that I used my phone a lot to keep me occupied while waiting for things (like the microwave, the train, the commercials to be over) and not having the phone has forced me to be more present wherever I am. I've also made it my goal to spend my time waiting for the microwave at work doing squats and lunges. Seems like a healthier alternative.
The next thing to tackle is my computer use. I think that I've replaced much of my phone use with the laptop. It's been especially bad since Margo has been out of town. My goal starting tomorrow is to spend 30 minutes or less on the computer in the evenings after work. The only exception being if I am cooking from a recipe on the computer or am following directions for a craft project on the computer. Hopefully by putting it out there to you all, I will be more accountable for that commitment.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Miserable Seahawks Game (or Why I Prefer Watching Football at Home)
So, Margo and I went to the Seattle Seahawks game on October 30, in part because it was one of my goals and in part because I've turned into a major football fan, apparently. It was a cool, cloudy day, with a chance of rain. Probably the best part of the day was the van/train ride there and back, because we got to ride the train to the game with our friend Mike and his daughter Mia. We also got a ride to the light rail station from Mia's mom, Heather, and her three week old baby sister Paige. We didn't get to sit with them, because they had really good tickets and we had not such great tickets. Because NFL tickets are very expensive.
We apparently also sat on the wrong side of the field. This happened primarily because we did not really know, having never been to a pro football game before, that there might be a wrong side of the field. But the wrong side of the field was filled with drunk and obnoxious Cincinnati Bengals fans. Who got progressively drunker and more obnoxious as they continued drinking and the Bengals killed the Seahawks. It was sad. And it was cold. 50 degrees doesn't sound that cold, especially when you're from as cold a place as Eastern Montana can be, but when you're just sitting in it for five hours, it's COLD. Here we are, being cold together, huddled together for warmth. And inner strength to keep me from kicking the ass of the obnoxious Bengals fans down the row.
Also, the stairs up to our seats were so steep, and our seats were up so high, that I purposely drank as few fluids as possible so that I did not have to go to the bathroom for the duration of the game, because I was not going to walk up and down those stairs again.
Here is the view from our seats:
One of the best things about going to the actual game was the Seahawks band, Blue Thunder. They were interesting and enthusiastic. One of the most disturbing things about the game was how little the Sea Gals (what a ridiculous damned name) were wearing, especially given the temperature and potential for rain.
Case in point:
I think football games are similar to concerts for me. I love football, and I love watching football, much as I love certain bands and listening to their music. But putting up with the other incredibly obnoxious and intoxicated people who also love football, and love some of the bands that I love (Def Leppard, Nickelback, etc.) is not worth the benefit of enjoying these things live.
So I think I'll be watching my football on the television from now on. There are no drunk and obnoxious people in my home, nor is it 50 degrees in my home. In addition, I can actually understand what the announcers are saying and follow what's happening in the game. Certainly, if I were to be given free tickets, I would probably go again. But I'm certainly not going to shell out the kind of cash required to buy football tickets again. We could have purchased one and a half round trip train tickets to Portland, OR or Vancouver, BC for that.
I am glad that I went, though, even if it wasn't super fun. I also have realized that I need more football buddies. I find that I really want to talk about the games when I back to work on Mondays, but I don't really have anyone at work to talk about football with. I guess that's one of the drawbacks of working on an inpatient psychiatry unit. This sort of work doesn't necessarily tend to attract the sort of people who watch football, apparently. Which I know is a bit of a generalization, but it seems to be holding up. So I'll keep asking around, to find out if anyone else watched the really good Chargers-Packers game, or the exciting Ravens-Steelers game, or the riveting Bears-Eagles game. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
I'm Keeping My Phone for Two More Weeks (or, Why I Hate My Cell Carrier)
I hope you'll give me credit for trying. We hopped into the Boost Mobile store last night to pick up a phone for Margo and port her number over from BS&S (a nickname, if you will), which was successful. We decided to go with Boost because they don't have contracts and the longer you stay with them the lower your bill goes. That way, if I decide I really can't live without a cell phone, I can always jump over to Boost Mobile without having to change plans and extend an already ridiculous contract.
Speaking of ridiculous contracts, I called my cell carrier, which is earning it's nickname from me of BS&S. I spoke with a pleasant lady who clearly thought I was lying when I said that I was not changing to another carrier, and just wanted to terminate my service. To that end, she informed me that if I wanted to keep my phone number (which I am a little sad to lose, having had this number for 8+ years), I would have to have an active line to transfer it to/from. I confirmed that I was aware of this fact. She then offered to reduce the price of my plan, and also offered me a $30 credit for 3 months to stay. She asked if I was leaving because my service was too expensive, and I reiterated that I just did not want to have a cell phone any longer. To which she said, and I quote, "Everybody has a cell phone." She went on to acknowledge that it would be quieter not to have a cell phone.
She told me that my service would end on 11/11/11 (kind of fun, in spite of my irritation) and it didn't really sink in right away that that was more than two weeks away. She went on to inform me that I could transfer my plan to someone else before that date if there was anyone else who wanted to take over my plan (which I suppose might be attractive because I still have the no-longer-available $30 unlimited data plan). I assured her that I did not have anyone who wanted to take over the plan. I then asked her if it was possible to turn off my service prior to the end of the billing cycle. She assured me that it was, but then told me that THEY DON'T PRO-RATE YOUR BILL so I may as well keep it on until 11/11/11 anyway because I'd be paying for it either way. Which I guess means that we are paying for Margo's service as well through 11/11/11. Bastards.
I don't remember this being the way that other cell carriers I've used have worked. In my memory, when you terminate your service, you also terminate your financial obligation related to your service, regardless of where in the billing cycle that termination might fall. So, even if I were not already convinced to ditch my cell, this would have pushed me over the edge. I can't imagine a circumstance in the future in which I would use this cell carrier again for this sole reason, not to mention the outrageous cost and the dropped calls. So, good work, BS&S.
The upshot, however, is that I still have a cell phone until 11/11/11. I could have shut it off today, but I'm not willing to pay them for something I'm not using. Also, I've got 4000 rollover minutes to use between now and 11/11/11, so if you want to chat on my dime (or their dime), let me know. Or if you want to take over my contract, let me know that too.
On a side note, I'm making parsley-walnut pesto tonight with the ridiculous amount of parsley we got from our CSA this week. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Speaking of ridiculous contracts, I called my cell carrier, which is earning it's nickname from me of BS&S. I spoke with a pleasant lady who clearly thought I was lying when I said that I was not changing to another carrier, and just wanted to terminate my service. To that end, she informed me that if I wanted to keep my phone number (which I am a little sad to lose, having had this number for 8+ years), I would have to have an active line to transfer it to/from. I confirmed that I was aware of this fact. She then offered to reduce the price of my plan, and also offered me a $30 credit for 3 months to stay. She asked if I was leaving because my service was too expensive, and I reiterated that I just did not want to have a cell phone any longer. To which she said, and I quote, "Everybody has a cell phone." She went on to acknowledge that it would be quieter not to have a cell phone.
She told me that my service would end on 11/11/11 (kind of fun, in spite of my irritation) and it didn't really sink in right away that that was more than two weeks away. She went on to inform me that I could transfer my plan to someone else before that date if there was anyone else who wanted to take over my plan (which I suppose might be attractive because I still have the no-longer-available $30 unlimited data plan). I assured her that I did not have anyone who wanted to take over the plan. I then asked her if it was possible to turn off my service prior to the end of the billing cycle. She assured me that it was, but then told me that THEY DON'T PRO-RATE YOUR BILL so I may as well keep it on until 11/11/11 anyway because I'd be paying for it either way. Which I guess means that we are paying for Margo's service as well through 11/11/11. Bastards.
I don't remember this being the way that other cell carriers I've used have worked. In my memory, when you terminate your service, you also terminate your financial obligation related to your service, regardless of where in the billing cycle that termination might fall. So, even if I were not already convinced to ditch my cell, this would have pushed me over the edge. I can't imagine a circumstance in the future in which I would use this cell carrier again for this sole reason, not to mention the outrageous cost and the dropped calls. So, good work, BS&S.
The upshot, however, is that I still have a cell phone until 11/11/11. I could have shut it off today, but I'm not willing to pay them for something I'm not using. Also, I've got 4000 rollover minutes to use between now and 11/11/11, so if you want to chat on my dime (or their dime), let me know. Or if you want to take over my contract, let me know that too.
On a side note, I'm making parsley-walnut pesto tonight with the ridiculous amount of parsley we got from our CSA this week. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Monday, October 24, 2011
I've almost ditched my phone and other almost-updates
1. My home phone was hooked up last week, and I purchased a phone (two, actually) and an answering machine. The plan now is to get Margo a new cell phone tomorrow and end my service with AT&T on Wednesday. Keep me honest, dear readers.
2. We saw our dear friend Lisa George and her son and two step-children at the end of August. It was wonderful, and made me want to hang out with her more. Sadly, at least in terms of her proximity (which we were not taking any advantage of at all), things in her life changed significantly earlier this month, and she moved back to Montana. Which has inspired my own nostalgia for Montana (or Iowa, or wherever I could live in a small town, quite frankly). More on that later, perhaps.
3. Hiking has been a bust this year. We were so busy this summer that we hardly got any hiking in at all. We had a couple of nice hikes (Little Si, which nearly killed us; Squak Mountain), but hiking largely fell by the wayside.
4. Playing the Wii every week has also fallen by the wayside. Unless, of course, watching Doctor Who on Netflix Streaming counts as playing the Wii. (and can I tell you how much I love Doctor Who? I have a new board on Pinterest devoted to Dr. Who geekery)
5. Trying new recipes every week. I've tried a bunch of new recipes. Whether I've tried one every week is debatable. Maybe on average. We bought a new programmable slow cooker, and I have made some nasty shit in that thing. Recipes that look good on first blush, but result in the wasting of enormous quantities of food and the eating of cold cereal for dinner. One recent positive standout, however, were the batch of snickerdoodle pumpkin cream cheese sandwich cookies that Margo and I recently collaborated on. Those were an unmitigated success. Also, Margo has been cooking more, which is great, but reduces my opportunities to use new recipes.
6. I have no update on the countertops, much to Margo's chagrin. We keep spending the money in the home improvements/fun savings account on fun and travel rather than on home improvements.
7. We are heading to the Seahawks-Bengals game on Sunday!!! I'm pretty stoked. Also trying not to think about the miserable fantasy football season I'm having this year. I'm 1-6 and have had the low score in the league in two weeks. Quite a fall from last season, where I actually did pretty well. Apparently that beginner's luck only lasts a year, regardless of the degree of your naivete.
8. I haven't gotten a pedicure in months. My pedicure buddy has two small children and has had a hard time getting away for a pedicure. And I haven't had the impetus to go on my own. And Margo hates to have her feet touched, so I'm on my own.
9. We are trying out the Tahoma Farms CSA through Terra Organics. I'm really liking Terra Organics and the Tahoma Farms CSA. The CSA will end this week or next, and then we have the option of a number of other organic produce boxes. Two appealing options are the Pacific Northwest box and a build-your-own option as well. Another nice feature is that they deliver. We come home on Tuesday evenings to a box of organic produce.
10. No dinner parties as of yet, but we are hosting a brunch potluck this weekend. I'm thinking that might count.
11. We actually went to Zoo Tunes twice this summer. Once to see Lucinda Williams (who was significantly less drunk than the other time I saw her) and once to see Brandi Carlile, who totally rocked. Things I learned: we need some of those low chairs for outside concerts and I really don't like being out on weeknights.
2. We saw our dear friend Lisa George and her son and two step-children at the end of August. It was wonderful, and made me want to hang out with her more. Sadly, at least in terms of her proximity (which we were not taking any advantage of at all), things in her life changed significantly earlier this month, and she moved back to Montana. Which has inspired my own nostalgia for Montana (or Iowa, or wherever I could live in a small town, quite frankly). More on that later, perhaps.
3. Hiking has been a bust this year. We were so busy this summer that we hardly got any hiking in at all. We had a couple of nice hikes (Little Si, which nearly killed us; Squak Mountain), but hiking largely fell by the wayside.
4. Playing the Wii every week has also fallen by the wayside. Unless, of course, watching Doctor Who on Netflix Streaming counts as playing the Wii. (and can I tell you how much I love Doctor Who? I have a new board on Pinterest devoted to Dr. Who geekery)
5. Trying new recipes every week. I've tried a bunch of new recipes. Whether I've tried one every week is debatable. Maybe on average. We bought a new programmable slow cooker, and I have made some nasty shit in that thing. Recipes that look good on first blush, but result in the wasting of enormous quantities of food and the eating of cold cereal for dinner. One recent positive standout, however, were the batch of snickerdoodle pumpkin cream cheese sandwich cookies that Margo and I recently collaborated on. Those were an unmitigated success. Also, Margo has been cooking more, which is great, but reduces my opportunities to use new recipes.
6. I have no update on the countertops, much to Margo's chagrin. We keep spending the money in the home improvements/fun savings account on fun and travel rather than on home improvements.
7. We are heading to the Seahawks-Bengals game on Sunday!!! I'm pretty stoked. Also trying not to think about the miserable fantasy football season I'm having this year. I'm 1-6 and have had the low score in the league in two weeks. Quite a fall from last season, where I actually did pretty well. Apparently that beginner's luck only lasts a year, regardless of the degree of your naivete.
8. I haven't gotten a pedicure in months. My pedicure buddy has two small children and has had a hard time getting away for a pedicure. And I haven't had the impetus to go on my own. And Margo hates to have her feet touched, so I'm on my own.
9. We are trying out the Tahoma Farms CSA through Terra Organics. I'm really liking Terra Organics and the Tahoma Farms CSA. The CSA will end this week or next, and then we have the option of a number of other organic produce boxes. Two appealing options are the Pacific Northwest box and a build-your-own option as well. Another nice feature is that they deliver. We come home on Tuesday evenings to a box of organic produce.
10. No dinner parties as of yet, but we are hosting a brunch potluck this weekend. I'm thinking that might count.
11. We actually went to Zoo Tunes twice this summer. Once to see Lucinda Williams (who was significantly less drunk than the other time I saw her) and once to see Brandi Carlile, who totally rocked. Things I learned: we need some of those low chairs for outside concerts and I really don't like being out on weeknights.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sports Fan?
Any of you who have known me for any length of time prior to last fall know that I have never been an athlete. Nor have I ever been particularly interested in sports. The possible exception being the season that I spent as a manager for girls basketball in middle school for what was arguably the best team in the tri-state region. I also enjoyed attending the occasional high school basketball game while I was still in high school. Then I spent a brief period of time trying really hard to enjoy baseball when I first fell in love with Margo (she was a Seattle Mariners fan before we ever moved to Seattle).
Whether you knew this about me or not, you may have noticed that I have a couple of sports-related goals on my list of goals. One of my goals is to attend a Seattle Storm game at least once a season, and the other is to attend a Seattle Seahawks game.
Fortunately, I remembered that I needed to attend a Storm game this year about a week and a half before the end of the regular season. Margo and I went to a game on 9/9/11, where the Storm played the Phoenix Mercury in the last game of the regular season. I had been to a game once before, back when I was in grad school, but Margo had never been to a game. I knew what a treat we were in for, but Margo had no idea. The game was really, really awesome. The Storm are the defending WNBA champions and the Phoenix Mercury is a really excellent team as well. And Storm fans are extremely enthusiastic and quite loud. One of the game-unrelated sources of entertainment for me was watching the little baby dykes cruising each other in the cheap seats. It reminded me of the purely social-sexual function of attending high school football games as an adolescent.
One of the funny things about the Storm game is that Margo didn't really want to go in the first place. Before the game started, she turned to me and said something to the effect of, "I don't really even like basketball." She had a wonderful time in spite of herself (as did I). In fact, she had such a good time that we are discussing the possibility of buying season tickets for next year (or going in on them with another couple we are friends with). Not to mention the fact that she has asked me to buy her a Katie Smith jersey approximately 78 times since we went to the game.
I am also, as much as I am loathe to admit it, a recent football fan. I blame my younger brother (Hi Matt!). He invited Margo and I to join his Fantasy Football league last year, which we did. I did quite well in the beginning, in spite of having a strange draft strategy. I figured that I didn't know enough about football to try to have a football-related strategy, so I drafted only players from places I had been that didn't have objectionable criminal records. I wound up with a pretty solid team and watched a lot of football in the process. I was actually sad when the football season ended.
I'm in the same league again this year, and used a similar draft strategy. It's the second week of the season, and so far so good. Now, I'm trying to actually learn more about the game. I've been reading more game analysis and Margo just bought me a book about football. And, believe it or not, I just asked for Madden for the Wii for my birthday. So it follows that I should attend at least one NFL game, and since we live in Seattle, it will be a Seahawks game. In spite of the fact that they were brutally slaughtered by the Steelers today. Anyway, we have tickets for 10/30/11, and I'm looking forward to going.
Whether you knew this about me or not, you may have noticed that I have a couple of sports-related goals on my list of goals. One of my goals is to attend a Seattle Storm game at least once a season, and the other is to attend a Seattle Seahawks game.
Fortunately, I remembered that I needed to attend a Storm game this year about a week and a half before the end of the regular season. Margo and I went to a game on 9/9/11, where the Storm played the Phoenix Mercury in the last game of the regular season. I had been to a game once before, back when I was in grad school, but Margo had never been to a game. I knew what a treat we were in for, but Margo had no idea. The game was really, really awesome. The Storm are the defending WNBA champions and the Phoenix Mercury is a really excellent team as well. And Storm fans are extremely enthusiastic and quite loud. One of the game-unrelated sources of entertainment for me was watching the little baby dykes cruising each other in the cheap seats. It reminded me of the purely social-sexual function of attending high school football games as an adolescent.
One of the funny things about the Storm game is that Margo didn't really want to go in the first place. Before the game started, she turned to me and said something to the effect of, "I don't really even like basketball." She had a wonderful time in spite of herself (as did I). In fact, she had such a good time that we are discussing the possibility of buying season tickets for next year (or going in on them with another couple we are friends with). Not to mention the fact that she has asked me to buy her a Katie Smith jersey approximately 78 times since we went to the game.
I am also, as much as I am loathe to admit it, a recent football fan. I blame my younger brother (Hi Matt!). He invited Margo and I to join his Fantasy Football league last year, which we did. I did quite well in the beginning, in spite of having a strange draft strategy. I figured that I didn't know enough about football to try to have a football-related strategy, so I drafted only players from places I had been that didn't have objectionable criminal records. I wound up with a pretty solid team and watched a lot of football in the process. I was actually sad when the football season ended.
I'm in the same league again this year, and used a similar draft strategy. It's the second week of the season, and so far so good. Now, I'm trying to actually learn more about the game. I've been reading more game analysis and Margo just bought me a book about football. And, believe it or not, I just asked for Madden for the Wii for my birthday. So it follows that I should attend at least one NFL game, and since we live in Seattle, it will be a Seahawks game. In spite of the fact that they were brutally slaughtered by the Steelers today. Anyway, we have tickets for 10/30/11, and I'm looking forward to going.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Better Off?
I recently read Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology (Beth, I think you'd really like it and thought about you frequently while reading it). As you may know, one of my goals is to ditch my iPhone, which I'm getting quite close to doing (the contract is up this month). The primary reason that I decided that I wanted to get rid of the thing is because my attachment to/dependence on it has been making me uncomfortable for some time. I spend way too much time on it, all too frequently to the exclusion of engaging in actual life activities or connecting with the people most important to me. Ironically, I have much less deep and meaningful contact with my family and friends since acquiring the iPhone and much more superficial contact with a wider variety of people.
Reading Better Off has led me to an even broader evaluation of the relationship that I have with technology and whether it is actually improving my life. In that evaluation, I have begun to question whether I need to have a cell phone at all. I lived quite happily and successfully without one well into adulthood. I talked with my friends and family members on the phone with great regularity. If I wasn't home, people just didn't get to talk to me. I didn't have the immediate gratification of getting information I needed from people without engaging in the social niceties that may, in fact, have been solidifying and cementing our relationships. As some of you know, I posted something on Facebook asking for people's feedback on my potentially getting rid of my cellphone. Many people appeared horrified, some even comparing the idea to cutting off a limb. And it was, in part, the ferocity of the opposition that has helped me move towards getting rid of my cell phone altogether.
My plan is to ditch my cell phone in favor of a landline of some kind. Margo will keep her cell phone. Although she has come around to the idea of not having a smart phone, she's not quite on board with not having a cell phone at all. And it could come in handy in case of an emergency, I suppose.
I'm not sure what else will get the boot in my re-evaluation of my life. Facebook is on the table, although I really value the re-connections I've made with some people, particularly people from my hometown. I may just do a major downsizing on Facebook again. Google+ might go as well. It hasn't blown me away so far, but we'll see what happens.
One of the major points the author makes in Better Off is that manual labor can be more efficient and more enjoyable than using modern technology. I'm going to be looking around my home and seeing what I can do manually in lieu of relying on machines. I'd love to hear from you all if there are things you've started doing for yourself that you used to relegate to machines. And I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Reading Better Off has led me to an even broader evaluation of the relationship that I have with technology and whether it is actually improving my life. In that evaluation, I have begun to question whether I need to have a cell phone at all. I lived quite happily and successfully without one well into adulthood. I talked with my friends and family members on the phone with great regularity. If I wasn't home, people just didn't get to talk to me. I didn't have the immediate gratification of getting information I needed from people without engaging in the social niceties that may, in fact, have been solidifying and cementing our relationships. As some of you know, I posted something on Facebook asking for people's feedback on my potentially getting rid of my cellphone. Many people appeared horrified, some even comparing the idea to cutting off a limb. And it was, in part, the ferocity of the opposition that has helped me move towards getting rid of my cell phone altogether.
My plan is to ditch my cell phone in favor of a landline of some kind. Margo will keep her cell phone. Although she has come around to the idea of not having a smart phone, she's not quite on board with not having a cell phone at all. And it could come in handy in case of an emergency, I suppose.
I'm not sure what else will get the boot in my re-evaluation of my life. Facebook is on the table, although I really value the re-connections I've made with some people, particularly people from my hometown. I may just do a major downsizing on Facebook again. Google+ might go as well. It hasn't blown me away so far, but we'll see what happens.
One of the major points the author makes in Better Off is that manual labor can be more efficient and more enjoyable than using modern technology. I'm going to be looking around my home and seeing what I can do manually in lieu of relying on machines. I'd love to hear from you all if there are things you've started doing for yourself that you used to relegate to machines. And I'll keep you posted on my progress.
I'm Back. Hopefully it sticks this time.
Obviously, I should have written goal #40 a little more specifically, as in "Start a blog and update it consistently." I got a talking to from my little brother earlier this week while on a family camping trip (Hi, Matt!), so anyone who is still optimistic enough to be checking for updates has him to think. He said some very flattering things about the blog, and then castigated me for neglecting it for so long. And he's right, at least about my utter neglect of the blog. And it's not that I don't think about writing blog entries. In fact, I'm frequently composing them in my head. It's just that, at the end of the day, I can't bring myself to do it.
I think I can attribute some of my inactivity to a brief upsurge in depressive symptoms. Which is something that I have been having all kinds of internal debate about whether or not to post to my blog. Most of the people who are the very closest to me know that I've struggled with depression for most of my life. But this isn't something I've previously shared with the rest of the world. There are a lot of complicated reasons why that is the case, but the biggest reason is the stigma that is still attached to admitting that you have something as terrible and shameful as depression. As a mental health professional, I recognize the inanity of bowing to that stigma in my own personal life, but the fact remains. And as a mental health professional whose co-workers occasionally read my blog, I've been a little worried about putting it out there on the internet. But there it is. I have depression. To be more specific, Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent.
The last year has actually been pretty good. I've worked really hard to find the right combination of medications and activities to help me keep things under control. I've had a lot of help and support in finding the right tools and doing the work I need to do. But, unfortunately, that doesn't mean that I'm not subject to the occasional relapse in symptoms. And, oddly enough, when I start feeling bad, I stop doing a lot of the things that bring me satisfaction. Apparently blogging is among those things that goes when I'm feeling worse. But along with trying to get a couple of miles of walking in at least three or four times a week, I'm trying to get back in the saddle of working on the blog.
I think I can attribute some of my inactivity to a brief upsurge in depressive symptoms. Which is something that I have been having all kinds of internal debate about whether or not to post to my blog. Most of the people who are the very closest to me know that I've struggled with depression for most of my life. But this isn't something I've previously shared with the rest of the world. There are a lot of complicated reasons why that is the case, but the biggest reason is the stigma that is still attached to admitting that you have something as terrible and shameful as depression. As a mental health professional, I recognize the inanity of bowing to that stigma in my own personal life, but the fact remains. And as a mental health professional whose co-workers occasionally read my blog, I've been a little worried about putting it out there on the internet. But there it is. I have depression. To be more specific, Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent.
The last year has actually been pretty good. I've worked really hard to find the right combination of medications and activities to help me keep things under control. I've had a lot of help and support in finding the right tools and doing the work I need to do. But, unfortunately, that doesn't mean that I'm not subject to the occasional relapse in symptoms. And, oddly enough, when I start feeling bad, I stop doing a lot of the things that bring me satisfaction. Apparently blogging is among those things that goes when I'm feeling worse. But along with trying to get a couple of miles of walking in at least three or four times a week, I'm trying to get back in the saddle of working on the blog.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Jenny's Visit
As I mentioned previously, my friend Jenny came to visit in May. Jenny is one of my oldest friends. I realized recently that she and I have been friends for 20 years this summer. Somehow we've managed to stay friends through some pretty rough times and over great distances (she lives in Tennessee). She flew in on a Wednesday night (which quickly turned into Thursday morning) and stayed until Monday morning. I took both Thursday and Friday off and did my best to give her a nice overview of Seattle while she was here. We did a number of fun and touristy things, some of which I had not done before.
On the first day, we slept in a bit and then had lunch at Two Tartes because I had a Living Social deal there. We both had sandwiches and split a pastry, all of which was quite tasty. Then we made our way to Fremont for the Theo Chocolate factory tour. For those of you who do not know, Theo Chocolate makes some of the best chocolate on the planet. And their factory tour is quite educational and opened my eyes to the variety of flavors that can be found in chocolate the first time I took it. You also get to eat quite a bit of chocolate while you're there, which is an added bonus. After the factory tour, we met Margo and another of our high school friends, Cate, for dinner at Tutta Bella in Columbia City. It was fun to see Cate and eat delicious pizza. Here's a picture of the three of us together in front of Tutta Bella.
That's Cate in the middle and Jenny on the right. After dinner, we also hit Saltwater State Park and did a little birdwatching. Mostly we saw Surf Scoters and Buffleheads while I talked excitedly about birds to Jenny. I do a lot of excited talking about birds these days. Here's an action shot of me talking about birds while Jenny listens patiently:
On to day two. On day two, we started out at Pike Place Market. I took Jenny to Piroshky Piroshky for lunch. This is always one of my favorite places for lunch or a snack. We also went to the original Starbucks store (Jenny has a friend who is obsessed with Starbucks) and got a monster cookie at Cinnamon Works. Here is a picture of the special official golden column in the Starbucks store that tells you that it is, in fact, the first Starbucks store.
We had to wait in line a ridiculously long time to get into the darned Starbucks store. I don't really understand the attraction myself, but I try to accommodate. Then it was on to the Space Needle, which I have not visited before. That also required a lot of waiting in line, as well as a number of terrible attempts at self-portraits on the way there, this being the worst:
The Space Needle was kind of cool, but really expensive. I don't know that I would do it again, unless I had an out-of-town guest that felt really strongly about going. It was almost 20 bucks. Luckily we went on a really clear day (one of depressingly few that we've had this year), and the views were pretty incredible:
After the Space Needle, we met Margo for an early dinner and drinks at Lunchbox Laboratory. It was pretty delicious, and they serve mixed drinks with Tang as an ingredient. Then it was home to recover from the day.
On day 3, we met another high school friend, Morgan, and his girlfriend Ryan for the Underground Tour, which I had always wanted to do. It was pretty awesome, and a great lesson in Seattle history to boot.
The tour guide was fun, and I always love hanging out with Morgan. Here's a picture of our little party in front of the totem pole and the pergola in Pioneer Square (minus Margo, who is behind the camera):
After the Underground Tour and lunch at Tat's, we rode the lightrail back to Tukwila and then went to Kubota Garden. Kubota is one of my favorite places in Seattle, and it was fun to show it off to Jenny. One of the best things about it is that it's free. It also has so many little nooks and crannies and bridges and ponds. Here's a picture of Jenny and Margo on one of my favorite bridges there:
That was pretty much the end of the third day. On day four, we took the ferry over the Bainbridge Island to have lunch with another friend from high school, Brandi. Neither of us had seen Brandi in 16 years, which is a long time. It was really lovely to see her and catch up. She's just as sweet as she ever was. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures from that day, which was Jenny's last day. Then we headed home and lazed in the living room and watched The Invention of Lying. Jenny left the next morning and life went back to it's usual routine.
It was fun to see Jenny and to be able to do some fun things that I had been wanting to do for a while. It was also fun to have the impetus to see the other folks from high school that live in the area. I didn't even know Brandi lived in the area until Jenny was getting ready for the trip.
Just today, I got the sweetest thank you gift in the mail from Jenny. It was a beautiful picture book from Shutterfly with pictures of her trip and narration about the trip. It's fun to have such a tangible reminder of the trip, and to be able to look back at it and be reminded of all of the fun things we did. Thanks, Jenny!
On the first day, we slept in a bit and then had lunch at Two Tartes because I had a Living Social deal there. We both had sandwiches and split a pastry, all of which was quite tasty. Then we made our way to Fremont for the Theo Chocolate factory tour. For those of you who do not know, Theo Chocolate makes some of the best chocolate on the planet. And their factory tour is quite educational and opened my eyes to the variety of flavors that can be found in chocolate the first time I took it. You also get to eat quite a bit of chocolate while you're there, which is an added bonus. After the factory tour, we met Margo and another of our high school friends, Cate, for dinner at Tutta Bella in Columbia City. It was fun to see Cate and eat delicious pizza. Here's a picture of the three of us together in front of Tutta Bella.
On day 3, we met another high school friend, Morgan, and his girlfriend Ryan for the Underground Tour, which I had always wanted to do. It was pretty awesome, and a great lesson in Seattle history to boot.
The tour guide was fun, and I always love hanging out with Morgan. Here's a picture of our little party in front of the totem pole and the pergola in Pioneer Square (minus Margo, who is behind the camera):
It was fun to see Jenny and to be able to do some fun things that I had been wanting to do for a while. It was also fun to have the impetus to see the other folks from high school that live in the area. I didn't even know Brandi lived in the area until Jenny was getting ready for the trip.
Just today, I got the sweetest thank you gift in the mail from Jenny. It was a beautiful picture book from Shutterfly with pictures of her trip and narration about the trip. It's fun to have such a tangible reminder of the trip, and to be able to look back at it and be reminded of all of the fun things we did. Thanks, Jenny!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Fishing in the Dark
I am so close to actually fishing. I've had a fishing license for at least two months now. I bought a fishing pole a couple of weeks ago. I bought a book about fishing. I started reading the Washington State fishing regulations, and that's where things got a little bit overwhelming.
When I added all of these bits about fishing to my list of goals, I did it with memories of fishing in a pond or a lake with my dad as a kid. It seemed like it could be a great way to spend some time outdoors and also provide us with an occasional meal of fresh fish. I had no idea it was so complicated. For those of you who are not familiar with the vagaries of fishing regulations, let me just give you a taste. I just have a freshwater license. I cannot fish in any rivers or streams that enter into Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Statewide, there are only certain fish that I can catch, in varying numbers and with varying size regulations. Then, virtually every single body of water has it's own set of regulations regarding fish that may be caught that may differ from the statewide regulations in a variety of ways. In addition, I'm not sure that I could positively identify any freshwater fish aside from a Northern Pike.
We went camping this weekend and were going to be staying near a lake in which it is possible to fish. I took my fishing pole. If it had just been Margo and I, I might have gone fishing, but the thought of trying to go fishing with an additional audience was just more than I can handle. I'm confident that fishing will happen soon, however. I just need a little more information and a little more time to work up to it.
When I added all of these bits about fishing to my list of goals, I did it with memories of fishing in a pond or a lake with my dad as a kid. It seemed like it could be a great way to spend some time outdoors and also provide us with an occasional meal of fresh fish. I had no idea it was so complicated. For those of you who are not familiar with the vagaries of fishing regulations, let me just give you a taste. I just have a freshwater license. I cannot fish in any rivers or streams that enter into Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Statewide, there are only certain fish that I can catch, in varying numbers and with varying size regulations. Then, virtually every single body of water has it's own set of regulations regarding fish that may be caught that may differ from the statewide regulations in a variety of ways. In addition, I'm not sure that I could positively identify any freshwater fish aside from a Northern Pike.
We went camping this weekend and were going to be staying near a lake in which it is possible to fish. I took my fishing pole. If it had just been Margo and I, I might have gone fishing, but the thought of trying to go fishing with an additional audience was just more than I can handle. I'm confident that fishing will happen soon, however. I just need a little more information and a little more time to work up to it.
It's Been Too Long, and There Are So Many Reasons
I can't believe it's been more than a month and a half since my last post. I started with such good intentions and have gotten incredibly far behind. The last month and a half has been busier than it had a right to be, and the blog (and you, gentle reader) has suffered as a result. I have much to update you about, and you will note that the list of birds seen and identified has grown substantially. I guess the bright side of not blogging is that it has largely been because of the fact that I have been busy living, and doing all of the things I wanted to do when I started this adventure. In addition to all of the fun things we've been doing around here, my baby sister graduated from college and Margo's grandfather died, both of which warranted road trips.
Several goals have been achieved since my last post, each of which will receive a post of their own. I bought a fishing pole (and a net, and almost went fishing). We went to the Arboretum while everything was in glorious bloom. My friend Jenny came to visit. I went to the Northwest Folklife Festival. We went camping AND visited Mt. St. Helens in the same weekend (this weekend, in fact). We have tickets to two different Zoo Tunes concerts (the first one is coming up on Wednesday).
So stay tuned, and updates should be headed your way, if you haven't given up already!
Several goals have been achieved since my last post, each of which will receive a post of their own. I bought a fishing pole (and a net, and almost went fishing). We went to the Arboretum while everything was in glorious bloom. My friend Jenny came to visit. I went to the Northwest Folklife Festival. We went camping AND visited Mt. St. Helens in the same weekend (this weekend, in fact). We have tickets to two different Zoo Tunes concerts (the first one is coming up on Wednesday).
So stay tuned, and updates should be headed your way, if you haven't given up already!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
And Finally, The Herbfarm
Well, we finally went to The Herbfarm last Friday. And it was fantastic. It wasn't necessarily that the food was the best I've ever eaten. It was quite good, don't get me wrong. I think I've had better food, though. It really is the food in combination with the unbelievable service, the educational component and the beverages that justifies the cost. And, of course, part of what made the experience so wonderful was the company. We went with our good friends Angus and Meredith, and that was an excellent choice on our part.
To give you some context, the theme of the menu was "A Menu for a Spring Forager's Dinner," or, as explained in the beautiful multi-paged menu, "Exploring the Foraged & Indigenous Foods of 'Salmon Nation.'" All of my tablemates were served wine, but I opted for the "Alcohol-Free Beverages" option, which I was absolutely thrilled with. The beverages were my favorite part, quite honestly. The table setting was quite stunning, and here are a few pictures to show you:
This is the little frog who was holding the name card:
Here is one view of the glasses we started out with. They were used from right to left, and each one was taken away after it had been used. On the plate, folded in the napkin, is the menu and some plant material. We each had a different plant, which was fun. Also, if you got up to go to the bathroom (or out to feed the pigs), you would come back to a fresh napkin with the original plant material lovingly placed atop it.
Here is another view of the glasses.
I'm now going to regale you with the details of each course in succession. And each course has a title.
First course was "From the Edge of the Sea." On your left you will see Kombu-Cured Albacore Tuna on a Seaweed Cracker with Oregon Wasabi Root. In the middle you will find some Puget Sound Geoduck Sashimi on Nori Seaweed Sauce with a piece of Pickled Bull Kelp Stalk on top. And on your right, you see a little sipping cup filled with Local Spot Prawn Soup with Smoked Quinault River Steelhead Roe and a little Chive Creme Fraiche. I have to say that this was not my favorite course.While I don't mind the taste of raw fish (which the tuna and geoduck were), I really don't care for the texture. Particularly of the tuna. The Geoduck actually didn't bother me and was maybe my favorite of the three. The soup was fine, although the steelhead roe were a little too salty for my taste. But darn it was pretty.
The alcoholic beverage accompanying this course was a Japanese-Prickly-Ash-&Kafir-Lime-Leaf Infused Sake Sparkling Wine Spritzer. I had "Champagne", which was Ariel Brut Cuvee with kaffir essence. Light and refreshing.
Second Course was "Hen 'n' Nettle" which consisted of Pan-Roasted Eastern Washington Spring Chicken and Its Crispy Confit with Poached Hama Hama Oysters, Radish, Stinging Nettle Sauce and Lovage Oil. This was pretty tasty. The chicken was tender but largely unremarkable. The oyster was fine, although I'm not the biggest oyster fan, and the crispy confit was deeeeeeeelicious. I had no idea that I was a crispy confit fan, but let the record show that I am.
The wine accompanying this course was a 2009 Reustle Prayer Rock Gruner Veltliner from Dundee Hills, Oregon. I had a Northwest Douglas Fir and Cucumber Soda, which I think was my favorite beverage of the evening.
Between courses we also got bread. The bread was Rustic Chestnut Bread and Alaskan Birch Syrup Pretzels, and they were served with House-Churned Jersey Cow Butter. Delicious. And they just kept giving you more.
Third Course was "Morel Support." This was Spring Morel Mushrooms and Line-Caught Wild Halibut, Savory Morel Jus, Wild Watercress, Asparagus and Caraway. They did some funky(and tasty) thing with the caraway so that it was like fried rye breadcrumbs, which you see under the halibut. The morels were incredible. We were all in agreement that we would be happy to sit under the table with a large bowl of the morels for the rest of the evening. The halibut was incredibly tender and moist.
The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2008 Chehalem Chardonnay, "Inox," Willamette Valley, Oregon. My tablemates didn't love this wine. I got "Elder Bliss," which was an Herbfarm North Cascade elderflower spritzer. Like all other beverages I consumed, extremely tasty.
Fourth Course was "Alexanders Piglet." This was Housemade Suckling Pig Porchetta with Alexanders Seeds, Homemade Mustard-Artisan Cider Sauce, Miner's Lettuce and Gathered Forest Wildlings (another term for greens picked in the woods somewhere). I've never had porchetta before, so don't have much to compare it with. The flavor was very succulent and essentially porky, in the best possible way. The texture was not my favorite, however. It was pretty chewy and fatty. But you better believe that the flavor won that battle, and I ate it all up, like a good little piggy. ;o)
Oh, and they don't mention the carrots in the description. But those two tiny carrots were the most delicious carrots I've ever eaten. The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2007 Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir, Athena, Willamette Valley, Oregon. I drank "Candied Rose", which consisted of Pinot Noir juice, rose petals and Candy Cap mushroom. This was really delicious (I'm running out of words here) but exotic. It had almost a mustiness to it (Meredith thought the smell reminded her a bit of pipe tobacco) that I'm guessing was from the mushroom. This was the strangest of the drinks, but still quite good.
Fifth Course was "Oxalic Interlude." The whole point of this course, as explained by the adorable chef (he seriously looks like he's twelve years old. he's apparently the youngest head chef of a five diamond restaurant in North America), was to recreate an intense lemon flavor using absolutely no citrus or vinegar. As described in the menu, it was a Wood-Sorrel Sorbet with Lemon Geranium Gel and Lemony Leaves. It was quite successful. Incredibly tart and lemony and just a touch grassy, in a really refreshing way. The perfect palate cleanser, truly. The picture below really only shows you the crisp on top (and for the life of me I can't remember what it was).
Sixth Course was "Young Milk Lamb." This was Whole Roasted Suckling Lamb (lamb that has only been fed on it's mother's milk) and Medallions of Pastured Lamb, Spring Onion Roasted in the Coals, New Shallot Greened Mashed Potatoes, Foraged Fern Fiddleheads and Lamb Rotisserie Drippings Sauce. I personally preferred the slightly stronger taste and firmer texture of the pastured lamb. The spring onion was perfectly sweet and smoky and the mashed potatoes were delicious. Fiddleheads were fine, though a little too vegetal and firm for my taste (look at me, opining on the merits of fiddleheads, la-dee-dah). This might have been the prettiest plate, however, and the chef personally poured the drippings sauce on each person's plate.
The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2007 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo, "Inigo Montoya" (Princess Bride, anyone?), Walla Walla. I got to drink "Tree Tea," Black Cherry, Sparkling Apple Cider, Hibiscus and Chai Tea.
Course Seven, and the beginning of dessert, was "Alpine Sheep," Ancient Heritage "Adelle" Sheep Cheese, Herbfarm Sping Farn Honey, Alpine Lakes Sheep's Milk Crisps, Alpine Heather Buds, Wild Western Juniper Berry Dust and Douglas Fir. So, the Douglas Fir was mixed in to the honey, which was then topped with the heather buds. The crisps (which we would like to buy by the bag), were sprinkled with the juniper berry dust. All in all, a fine cheese course.
Course Eight, my favorite, was "Native Trees." This was a Madrone Tree Bark-Caramel Bavarian, Whipped Big-Leaf Maple Syrup, Fresh Sage, and Crunchy Black Currants and Its Powder. What they neglect to mention is the maple blossom fritter, which was both bitter and sweet and crunchy and delightful. This course was so delicious I could have eaten three plates of it, though to be clear I am a total dessert fiend. The only unfortunate thing was that I dropped a piece of the chocolate shell of the bavarian and later found it melted into my skirt. Luckily it all came out in the wash.
Also, I declined to eat the fresh sage leaves. The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2000 High Pass Huxelrebe, Willamette Valley, Oregon. I got to drink a Gewurztraminer Juice and Rhubarb Cordial. Both of these drinks were basically one gulp. But a delicious gulp.
Ninth (and final) Course was "Coffees, Teas & Local Beverages and Wild Nibbles." We got our choice of various coffees, coffee alternatives and teas, each served in and poured from individual french presses by our servers. I chose to drink the Madrone Tree bark tea. I love Madrone trees. They're really beautiful, and apparently they've been used by indigenous folks in teas for a very long time. With our beverages were Puffed Wild Rice Crispies, Sea Buckthorn Pate de Fruit, Licorice Fern Root Truffle and Rhubarb-Oxeye Daisy Tarts. They were tiny little bites, and for some reason our table got a double serving of this course. No complaints here. It was all quite tasty.
Margo's favorite was the wild rice crispies, which were quite nutty in flavor. I really liked the sea buckthorn (I assume in place of gelatin) fruit de pate. It was intensely fruity and tart and sweet all at once.
As we walked out the door to return home, we were also handed Japanese Knotwood Cookies for the road. I ate mine the next morning, and it was so buttery and crumbly and decadent.
Most interesting fact: tulip petals are edible, the flavor varies by color and they are quite delicious. I'll never look at a tulip the same way again.
Funniest anecdote of the evening (unless you're his wife). Our friend Angus was insistent that milk tastes better when drunk from a silver goblet and coerced the wait staff into bringing him a chilled silver goblet filled with milk (which was not on the menu), a subsequent pitcher of milk for refills, and a glass glass full of milk so that we could do a comparison taste test. I'm afraid he's right, but I'm not going to be purchasing any silver goblets in the near future in spite of that. Below is a picture of Angus pouring milk from the cat pitcher into his silver goblet.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening. Between the food, the beverages, the service and the overall experience, it was worth the cost. If you want to know how much it cost, you can go to the website and do the math. Just don't think less of me because of it. Especially when I tell you we might make this a yearly tradition.
To give you some context, the theme of the menu was "A Menu for a Spring Forager's Dinner," or, as explained in the beautiful multi-paged menu, "Exploring the Foraged & Indigenous Foods of 'Salmon Nation.'" All of my tablemates were served wine, but I opted for the "Alcohol-Free Beverages" option, which I was absolutely thrilled with. The beverages were my favorite part, quite honestly. The table setting was quite stunning, and here are a few pictures to show you:
This is the little frog who was holding the name card:
Here is one view of the glasses we started out with. They were used from right to left, and each one was taken away after it had been used. On the plate, folded in the napkin, is the menu and some plant material. We each had a different plant, which was fun. Also, if you got up to go to the bathroom (or out to feed the pigs), you would come back to a fresh napkin with the original plant material lovingly placed atop it.
Here is another view of the glasses.
I'm now going to regale you with the details of each course in succession. And each course has a title.
First course was "From the Edge of the Sea." On your left you will see Kombu-Cured Albacore Tuna on a Seaweed Cracker with Oregon Wasabi Root. In the middle you will find some Puget Sound Geoduck Sashimi on Nori Seaweed Sauce with a piece of Pickled Bull Kelp Stalk on top. And on your right, you see a little sipping cup filled with Local Spot Prawn Soup with Smoked Quinault River Steelhead Roe and a little Chive Creme Fraiche. I have to say that this was not my favorite course.While I don't mind the taste of raw fish (which the tuna and geoduck were), I really don't care for the texture. Particularly of the tuna. The Geoduck actually didn't bother me and was maybe my favorite of the three. The soup was fine, although the steelhead roe were a little too salty for my taste. But darn it was pretty.
The alcoholic beverage accompanying this course was a Japanese-Prickly-Ash-&Kafir-Lime-Leaf Infused Sake Sparkling Wine Spritzer. I had "Champagne", which was Ariel Brut Cuvee with kaffir essence. Light and refreshing.
Second Course was "Hen 'n' Nettle" which consisted of Pan-Roasted Eastern Washington Spring Chicken and Its Crispy Confit with Poached Hama Hama Oysters, Radish, Stinging Nettle Sauce and Lovage Oil. This was pretty tasty. The chicken was tender but largely unremarkable. The oyster was fine, although I'm not the biggest oyster fan, and the crispy confit was deeeeeeeelicious. I had no idea that I was a crispy confit fan, but let the record show that I am.
The wine accompanying this course was a 2009 Reustle Prayer Rock Gruner Veltliner from Dundee Hills, Oregon. I had a Northwest Douglas Fir and Cucumber Soda, which I think was my favorite beverage of the evening.
Between courses we also got bread. The bread was Rustic Chestnut Bread and Alaskan Birch Syrup Pretzels, and they were served with House-Churned Jersey Cow Butter. Delicious. And they just kept giving you more.
Third Course was "Morel Support." This was Spring Morel Mushrooms and Line-Caught Wild Halibut, Savory Morel Jus, Wild Watercress, Asparagus and Caraway. They did some funky(and tasty) thing with the caraway so that it was like fried rye breadcrumbs, which you see under the halibut. The morels were incredible. We were all in agreement that we would be happy to sit under the table with a large bowl of the morels for the rest of the evening. The halibut was incredibly tender and moist.
The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2008 Chehalem Chardonnay, "Inox," Willamette Valley, Oregon. My tablemates didn't love this wine. I got "Elder Bliss," which was an Herbfarm North Cascade elderflower spritzer. Like all other beverages I consumed, extremely tasty.
Fourth Course was "Alexanders Piglet." This was Housemade Suckling Pig Porchetta with Alexanders Seeds, Homemade Mustard-Artisan Cider Sauce, Miner's Lettuce and Gathered Forest Wildlings (another term for greens picked in the woods somewhere). I've never had porchetta before, so don't have much to compare it with. The flavor was very succulent and essentially porky, in the best possible way. The texture was not my favorite, however. It was pretty chewy and fatty. But you better believe that the flavor won that battle, and I ate it all up, like a good little piggy. ;o)
Oh, and they don't mention the carrots in the description. But those two tiny carrots were the most delicious carrots I've ever eaten. The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2007 Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir, Athena, Willamette Valley, Oregon. I drank "Candied Rose", which consisted of Pinot Noir juice, rose petals and Candy Cap mushroom. This was really delicious (I'm running out of words here) but exotic. It had almost a mustiness to it (Meredith thought the smell reminded her a bit of pipe tobacco) that I'm guessing was from the mushroom. This was the strangest of the drinks, but still quite good.
Fifth Course was "Oxalic Interlude." The whole point of this course, as explained by the adorable chef (he seriously looks like he's twelve years old. he's apparently the youngest head chef of a five diamond restaurant in North America), was to recreate an intense lemon flavor using absolutely no citrus or vinegar. As described in the menu, it was a Wood-Sorrel Sorbet with Lemon Geranium Gel and Lemony Leaves. It was quite successful. Incredibly tart and lemony and just a touch grassy, in a really refreshing way. The perfect palate cleanser, truly. The picture below really only shows you the crisp on top (and for the life of me I can't remember what it was).
Sixth Course was "Young Milk Lamb." This was Whole Roasted Suckling Lamb (lamb that has only been fed on it's mother's milk) and Medallions of Pastured Lamb, Spring Onion Roasted in the Coals, New Shallot Greened Mashed Potatoes, Foraged Fern Fiddleheads and Lamb Rotisserie Drippings Sauce. I personally preferred the slightly stronger taste and firmer texture of the pastured lamb. The spring onion was perfectly sweet and smoky and the mashed potatoes were delicious. Fiddleheads were fine, though a little too vegetal and firm for my taste (look at me, opining on the merits of fiddleheads, la-dee-dah). This might have been the prettiest plate, however, and the chef personally poured the drippings sauce on each person's plate.
The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2007 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo, "Inigo Montoya" (Princess Bride, anyone?), Walla Walla. I got to drink "Tree Tea," Black Cherry, Sparkling Apple Cider, Hibiscus and Chai Tea.
Course Seven, and the beginning of dessert, was "Alpine Sheep," Ancient Heritage "Adelle" Sheep Cheese, Herbfarm Sping Farn Honey, Alpine Lakes Sheep's Milk Crisps, Alpine Heather Buds, Wild Western Juniper Berry Dust and Douglas Fir. So, the Douglas Fir was mixed in to the honey, which was then topped with the heather buds. The crisps (which we would like to buy by the bag), were sprinkled with the juniper berry dust. All in all, a fine cheese course.
Course Eight, my favorite, was "Native Trees." This was a Madrone Tree Bark-Caramel Bavarian, Whipped Big-Leaf Maple Syrup, Fresh Sage, and Crunchy Black Currants and Its Powder. What they neglect to mention is the maple blossom fritter, which was both bitter and sweet and crunchy and delightful. This course was so delicious I could have eaten three plates of it, though to be clear I am a total dessert fiend. The only unfortunate thing was that I dropped a piece of the chocolate shell of the bavarian and later found it melted into my skirt. Luckily it all came out in the wash.
Also, I declined to eat the fresh sage leaves. The alcoholic beverage served with this course was a 2000 High Pass Huxelrebe, Willamette Valley, Oregon. I got to drink a Gewurztraminer Juice and Rhubarb Cordial. Both of these drinks were basically one gulp. But a delicious gulp.
Ninth (and final) Course was "Coffees, Teas & Local Beverages and Wild Nibbles." We got our choice of various coffees, coffee alternatives and teas, each served in and poured from individual french presses by our servers. I chose to drink the Madrone Tree bark tea. I love Madrone trees. They're really beautiful, and apparently they've been used by indigenous folks in teas for a very long time. With our beverages were Puffed Wild Rice Crispies, Sea Buckthorn Pate de Fruit, Licorice Fern Root Truffle and Rhubarb-Oxeye Daisy Tarts. They were tiny little bites, and for some reason our table got a double serving of this course. No complaints here. It was all quite tasty.
Margo's favorite was the wild rice crispies, which were quite nutty in flavor. I really liked the sea buckthorn (I assume in place of gelatin) fruit de pate. It was intensely fruity and tart and sweet all at once.
As we walked out the door to return home, we were also handed Japanese Knotwood Cookies for the road. I ate mine the next morning, and it was so buttery and crumbly and decadent.
Most interesting fact: tulip petals are edible, the flavor varies by color and they are quite delicious. I'll never look at a tulip the same way again.
Funniest anecdote of the evening (unless you're his wife). Our friend Angus was insistent that milk tastes better when drunk from a silver goblet and coerced the wait staff into bringing him a chilled silver goblet filled with milk (which was not on the menu), a subsequent pitcher of milk for refills, and a glass glass full of milk so that we could do a comparison taste test. I'm afraid he's right, but I'm not going to be purchasing any silver goblets in the near future in spite of that. Below is a picture of Angus pouring milk from the cat pitcher into his silver goblet.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening. Between the food, the beverages, the service and the overall experience, it was worth the cost. If you want to know how much it cost, you can go to the website and do the math. Just don't think less of me because of it. Especially when I tell you we might make this a yearly tradition.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Birding, Our New Hobby
So, we've been talking about birdwatching for a while now. We've even looked at a few birds. But our birdwatching has taken a more serious committed turn in the last week. All it took was a restful and rejuvenating long weekend on Orcas Island. We stayed at this amazing place that was out in the woods with amazing gardens and lots of birds. We also did a fair amount of hiking (first serious hikes of the year, at 4 or so miles each) and saw our first woodpecker!!
We now own two (soon to be several more than two) bird identification books, a bird song identification CD set and two pairs of binoculars. On a side note, both pairs of binoculars were given to us secondhand by my father, and one of them is surprisingly nice. We took some fun pictures of the birds this weekend, which I'll share below. I have also learned that my favorite bird (so far) to watch at a bird feeder is a red-breasted nuthatch. And Beth (or anyone else), if you have corrections to our identifications, please let me know. You can also check out my new list on the left side of the blog of the birds that we've seen and identified since we started our list.
All credit for the pictures goes to Margo. Her camera rocks and she has a lens that I've seen many people eyeing with envy.
So here is a picture of my favorite bird, the red-breasted nuthatch. I love watching these guys climb all over the bird feeder, even upside down. The male nuthatch was also extremely aggressive towards the other birds if he was at the feeder.
The birds we saw the most of were the dark eyed juncos. In our region, we have the Oregon morph, which is a fancy way of saying that they have different coloring here, namely a black hood. Once we had identified what they were, we saw TONS of them EVERYWHERE. I suspect that will be the case with many birds as we go along. They are cute and sassy. The dark eyed junco is on the left, and joining him at the bird feeder is a pine siskin. We also saw quite a number of these little guys.
We had some debate about whether this next guy is a house finch or a purple finch, but eventually went with purple finch (they're not actually purple) because he's pink over so much of his body.
The spotted towhee was a little more elusive and we don't have any great pictures of him. We actually have seen these before, but this is our first picture. The first time we saw them, I thought they were some kind of weird robin. They're similarly sized and the red breast was confusing.
This little lady was actually in the pond at the house where we stayed. The picture isn't great, but it's the best shot we got.
We saw these buffleheads pretty far out on the water, but they were so pretty I just wanted to share them.
We actually see great blue herons pretty frequently when we get out of town, but Margo got some really nice pictures of this one that landed in a nearby tree on one of our hikes.
And finally, our most exciting sight of the trip, the hairy woodpecker. We've heard plenty of woodpeckers before, but neither of us has ever actually seen one. The picture isn't the best, but it's hard to take a picture of a moving bird when you're looking straight up the tree. We think he's a hairy woodpecker because his outer white tail feathers do not appear to have spots, which would appear on a down woodpecker.
We're already planning all of the places we are going to go to look for more birds. We also purchased a hummingbird feeder and a birdbath for our balcony, since we aren't allowed to have regular birdfeeders on our balconies. And after seeing the red-breasted nuthatch throwing everything he didn't want out of the bird feeder and onto the ground, I understand why.
We now own two (soon to be several more than two) bird identification books, a bird song identification CD set and two pairs of binoculars. On a side note, both pairs of binoculars were given to us secondhand by my father, and one of them is surprisingly nice. We took some fun pictures of the birds this weekend, which I'll share below. I have also learned that my favorite bird (so far) to watch at a bird feeder is a red-breasted nuthatch. And Beth (or anyone else), if you have corrections to our identifications, please let me know. You can also check out my new list on the left side of the blog of the birds that we've seen and identified since we started our list.
All credit for the pictures goes to Margo. Her camera rocks and she has a lens that I've seen many people eyeing with envy.
So here is a picture of my favorite bird, the red-breasted nuthatch. I love watching these guys climb all over the bird feeder, even upside down. The male nuthatch was also extremely aggressive towards the other birds if he was at the feeder.
The birds we saw the most of were the dark eyed juncos. In our region, we have the Oregon morph, which is a fancy way of saying that they have different coloring here, namely a black hood. Once we had identified what they were, we saw TONS of them EVERYWHERE. I suspect that will be the case with many birds as we go along. They are cute and sassy. The dark eyed junco is on the left, and joining him at the bird feeder is a pine siskin. We also saw quite a number of these little guys.
We had some debate about whether this next guy is a house finch or a purple finch, but eventually went with purple finch (they're not actually purple) because he's pink over so much of his body.
The spotted towhee was a little more elusive and we don't have any great pictures of him. We actually have seen these before, but this is our first picture. The first time we saw them, I thought they were some kind of weird robin. They're similarly sized and the red breast was confusing.
This is one of the birds that we've had the most difficult time positively identifying. I think it's a winter wren, but it might be a house wren as well. He was singing at us quite assertively from his little perch.
This little lady was actually in the pond at the house where we stayed. The picture isn't great, but it's the best shot we got.
We saw these buffleheads pretty far out on the water, but they were so pretty I just wanted to share them.
We actually see great blue herons pretty frequently when we get out of town, but Margo got some really nice pictures of this one that landed in a nearby tree on one of our hikes.
And finally, our most exciting sight of the trip, the hairy woodpecker. We've heard plenty of woodpeckers before, but neither of us has ever actually seen one. The picture isn't the best, but it's hard to take a picture of a moving bird when you're looking straight up the tree. We think he's a hairy woodpecker because his outer white tail feathers do not appear to have spots, which would appear on a down woodpecker.
We're already planning all of the places we are going to go to look for more birds. We also purchased a hummingbird feeder and a birdbath for our balcony, since we aren't allowed to have regular birdfeeders on our balconies. And after seeing the red-breasted nuthatch throwing everything he didn't want out of the bird feeder and onto the ground, I understand why.
We Finally Did It!!
Well, after nearly eight years together, we finally made it as official as we can in the state of Washington! And here's the evidence:
And I have to give a shout out to both the State of Washington and the City of Seattle. We sent our notarized applications on Friday, 4/22/11, and received our certificates in the mail today, 4/27/11. Pretty freaking impressive if you ask me.
We also registered with the City of Seattle since we both work in the city and get most of our health care there.
And I have to give a shout out to both the State of Washington and the City of Seattle. We sent our notarized applications on Friday, 4/22/11, and received our certificates in the mail today, 4/27/11. Pretty freaking impressive if you ask me.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Book and My Kitchen
I was listening to a podcast of the Splendid Table recently (the show for people who love to eat, as they always remind me) and Lynne was interviewing Ken Albala. He was talking about how there is wild yeast everywhere, in the air, on our fruit, etc., and how you don't really need to use commercially produced yeast to make bread. You can just set some food out for the yeast and they will come to you. Mr. Albala is the co-author, with Rosanna Nafziger, of The Lost Art of Real Cooking. I had recently decided that all cookbooks and such things are going to be previewed via the public library before purchase so I placed a hold and got the book pretty quickly.
This book is amazing. And I just want to be clear that no one is asking me to promote this book, or paying me or any such other nonsense. The book just blew my socks off. The basic premise of the book is that we have gotten very far away from cooking (and subsequently eating) the way our not-too-distant ancestors did. The authors advocate and delineate the pleasures and benefits of preparing food without small appliances and from super scratch. Like growing your own yeast. Which I am currently doing. Here is an early picture of my flour and water (and now yeast) slurry:
It has since gotten much bigger. I started it last Wednesday (3/23) and I'm going to try baking some bread with it this weekend. You know I'll update you eventually on the results. I also roasted a whole chicken while my mom and sister were visiting and made stock from the bones and skin and some previously collected vegetable peelings. I've made stock before, but this book advocates cooking the stock (below a simmer: apparently simmering or boiling stock is what makes it cloudy) at least overnight. So I took a leap of faith and left the stove on with a pot of soon-to-be-stock on it overnight. And the house didn't burn down. Woo hoo! Here's a picture of it before I went to bed for the night:
To be clear, this book is not for the faint of heart or those of you who are looking for a quick weeknight meal (or, realistically, those of you with small children, or maybe any children). The yeast slurry (what is actually pretty much a sourdough starter) must be fed and watered every night. Every night. As a result, I think I have more than a gallon of the stuff. And I need to find people to give it away to. Would you like some? I can bring it over, if you live within a 50 mile radius. The chicken stock involved bones and skin and the sort of things that most people who still eat meat seem to try to avoid. But I also feel really connected to the foods that I'm making. I talk to my starter every night, and sometimes I hug the crock that it lives in. Truly. I know it sounds a little bit crazy, but it's true.
So if you have any interest in this very back to the basics approach to food, check out this book. It's definitely heavy on an omnivorous diet, there's a lot about meat and dairy (the glory of cultured butter, making your own yogurt and so on) but there are a few other gems, like making dill pickles the old way (no canning required), rumtopf and a few other surprises. I loved it so much and talked about it so much, that my lovely girlfriend surprised me with it and a nylon whisk. That girl really knows me. And she likes the results, too.
This book is amazing. And I just want to be clear that no one is asking me to promote this book, or paying me or any such other nonsense. The book just blew my socks off. The basic premise of the book is that we have gotten very far away from cooking (and subsequently eating) the way our not-too-distant ancestors did. The authors advocate and delineate the pleasures and benefits of preparing food without small appliances and from super scratch. Like growing your own yeast. Which I am currently doing. Here is an early picture of my flour and water (and now yeast) slurry:
It has since gotten much bigger. I started it last Wednesday (3/23) and I'm going to try baking some bread with it this weekend. You know I'll update you eventually on the results. I also roasted a whole chicken while my mom and sister were visiting and made stock from the bones and skin and some previously collected vegetable peelings. I've made stock before, but this book advocates cooking the stock (below a simmer: apparently simmering or boiling stock is what makes it cloudy) at least overnight. So I took a leap of faith and left the stove on with a pot of soon-to-be-stock on it overnight. And the house didn't burn down. Woo hoo! Here's a picture of it before I went to bed for the night:
To be clear, this book is not for the faint of heart or those of you who are looking for a quick weeknight meal (or, realistically, those of you with small children, or maybe any children). The yeast slurry (what is actually pretty much a sourdough starter) must be fed and watered every night. Every night. As a result, I think I have more than a gallon of the stuff. And I need to find people to give it away to. Would you like some? I can bring it over, if you live within a 50 mile radius. The chicken stock involved bones and skin and the sort of things that most people who still eat meat seem to try to avoid. But I also feel really connected to the foods that I'm making. I talk to my starter every night, and sometimes I hug the crock that it lives in. Truly. I know it sounds a little bit crazy, but it's true.
So if you have any interest in this very back to the basics approach to food, check out this book. It's definitely heavy on an omnivorous diet, there's a lot about meat and dairy (the glory of cultured butter, making your own yogurt and so on) but there are a few other gems, like making dill pickles the old way (no canning required), rumtopf and a few other surprises. I loved it so much and talked about it so much, that my lovely girlfriend surprised me with it and a nylon whisk. That girl really knows me. And she likes the results, too.
Monday, March 28, 2011
So Many Updates!!!
Well folks, A LOT has happened in the last two weeks. And I'm a little embarrassed that it's been so long since I posted an update. My mom and my sister came to visit last weekend (3/18-3/21/11). We had a great time going to thrift stores and estate sales and playing games. They also helped me accomplish one of my goals: Lining and hanging the new curtains! I'm about to show you an after picture, but let me give you some context. For the longest time, our living room was painted three different shades of brown (I realize now it was a warm, brown cave). To go along with that and our former brown couch, we had two sets of curtains, one ivory and one brown. They were perfectly lovely. Then we got rid of the brown couch. Then we painted the living room a pale gray. Suddenly the ivory and brown curtains just looked really, really bad. So six months ago we bought some new curtains. And they sat in the packages until just a week and a half ago waiting for me to quickly sew on the extra lining that I've had for years. But thanks to my mom and my sister, they're done and hanging in the living room:
It's not the best picture, but you get the ideas. Now, however, it has become even more painfully clear that the old green couch is going to have to go. Luckily we've got a plan, and it looks like this. I just want to save up a little more money before we buy it. And we also have to figure out a way to get rid of the current couch. I'm thinking we'll probably post it in the free ads on Craiglist, but if you want it, come and get it.
We also had a major accomplishment this evening: We bought a new dishwasher! By happy accident, all EnergyStar appliances were 10% off at Sears this week, so we paid a little less than we might otherwise. It's going to be installed and the old dishwasher hauled away on Saturday, just in time for my turn to do dishes! Ironically, it was my #3 choice of 3 models after doing research and before seeing them in person. The sales lady clearly wanted us to buy this one, but we also liked it the most of the three on our list. We also bought their 3 year maintenance plan, and I'm honestly not interested in hearing if you think that was a bad decision.
Work is still hectic, but I'm really loving it. There's something really awesome about caring for people who are at their most acute. I'm learning so much more than I anticipated. I also had the weirdest, funniest dream about my boss last week. I dreamed that he had put my on an experimental weight loss program that he developed (he's an MD and an MPH) and by the end of it I had gained 115 pounds. He told me that it means I think he's a terrible doctor. I actually think he's a brilliant doctor, but I didn't tell him that. I just told him I think it means that this job is harder and heavier than I thought it was going to be. I really think that's what the dream meant. But I'm really happy I made the change. The challenge is exactly what I needed.
Coming soon: a post on the book that has revolutionized my kitchen. And an update on all of my recent thrift/antiquing finds (Margo and I went antiquing this weekend. I love to go to antique malls. We spent three hours in one of them yesterday. It made my weekend.). Maybe tomorrow....
It's not the best picture, but you get the ideas. Now, however, it has become even more painfully clear that the old green couch is going to have to go. Luckily we've got a plan, and it looks like this. I just want to save up a little more money before we buy it. And we also have to figure out a way to get rid of the current couch. I'm thinking we'll probably post it in the free ads on Craiglist, but if you want it, come and get it.
We also had a major accomplishment this evening: We bought a new dishwasher! By happy accident, all EnergyStar appliances were 10% off at Sears this week, so we paid a little less than we might otherwise. It's going to be installed and the old dishwasher hauled away on Saturday, just in time for my turn to do dishes! Ironically, it was my #3 choice of 3 models after doing research and before seeing them in person. The sales lady clearly wanted us to buy this one, but we also liked it the most of the three on our list. We also bought their 3 year maintenance plan, and I'm honestly not interested in hearing if you think that was a bad decision.
Work is still hectic, but I'm really loving it. There's something really awesome about caring for people who are at their most acute. I'm learning so much more than I anticipated. I also had the weirdest, funniest dream about my boss last week. I dreamed that he had put my on an experimental weight loss program that he developed (he's an MD and an MPH) and by the end of it I had gained 115 pounds. He told me that it means I think he's a terrible doctor. I actually think he's a brilliant doctor, but I didn't tell him that. I just told him I think it means that this job is harder and heavier than I thought it was going to be. I really think that's what the dream meant. But I'm really happy I made the change. The challenge is exactly what I needed.
Coming soon: a post on the book that has revolutionized my kitchen. And an update on all of my recent thrift/antiquing finds (Margo and I went antiquing this weekend. I love to go to antique malls. We spent three hours in one of them yesterday. It made my weekend.). Maybe tomorrow....
Monday, March 14, 2011
Naked Ladies and Pie
Well, as I suggested I would back on January 11, I went to a strip show over the weekend with my lady and a couple of our (straightish) friends. This was a women-only event, and a fundraiser for an AIDS organization in California (although the show was here in Seattle). One of the most interesting aspects of this event was that every single woman who stripped was an audience member. They called it a Strip-O-Rama and had a one hour strip tease class before the show actually started that was taught by the beguiling and ever-so-lovely Miss Indigo Blue. (Miss Indigo Blue was also the hilarious and delightful host of the show with more costume changes than Anne Hathaway at the Oscars). After the class, anyone who wanted to could sign up for a two-minute slot (no pun intended. or maybe pun very much intended). This is not the first time they've had this event in Seattle, and some of these ladies had very clearly attended and performed before. Each act (some acts were multiple women at once) was judged by the amount of tips that they received (although all tips went to the charity). At the end of the evening, the top three acts were then auctioned off for a lap dance. One thing that I very much appreciated was the variety of body types and gender expressions that we saw in the performers, and every one of them received an adoring and appreciative response from the audience.
All in all, it was a seriously good time. It was funny, it was touching, it was hot, and at times it was down-right disturbing. As the event did not take place at a Washington State-licensed strip club and was a charity event, none of the rules that generally apply to strip clubs applied to this show. Some people ran with the lack of restrictions. And, as a lady who appreciates a certain type of lady, there was plenty of eye candy to behold. So, if you're a lady who loves the ladies and you appreciate a certain degree and variety of sexual expression, I highly recommend attending this in the future. I'm also feeling like I might almost be brave enough to consider thinking about taking a burlesque class. There were also raffle prizes. And so many of them that nearly everyone won something. I'm not telling you what I won...
Moving on to Pi(e) day and the food I'm cooking as I type. Because it is Pi(e) Day (3.14), I decided to make (with some assistance from Margo), apple hand pies. I haven't tasted them yet, but they look delicious:
Also in the works is Costillitas en Naranja (Mexican Ribs In Orange & Chili Sauce). It's not completely done yet, but we are hungry so we each had one not quite totally tender rib with a drizzle of sauce to tide us over until it's completely done and the barley is ready to go under it. Here's a picture near the beginning of the cooking process:
So far, the verdict is: very tasty but very time-consuming. A better recipe for a leisurely Sunday afternoon than for a Monday night.
And finally, here's what happens around here when you get up off the couch to go tend to your cooking:
While this one looks on in disdain:
That's all she wrote, folks. Happy Pi(e) Day!
All in all, it was a seriously good time. It was funny, it was touching, it was hot, and at times it was down-right disturbing. As the event did not take place at a Washington State-licensed strip club and was a charity event, none of the rules that generally apply to strip clubs applied to this show. Some people ran with the lack of restrictions. And, as a lady who appreciates a certain type of lady, there was plenty of eye candy to behold. So, if you're a lady who loves the ladies and you appreciate a certain degree and variety of sexual expression, I highly recommend attending this in the future. I'm also feeling like I might almost be brave enough to consider thinking about taking a burlesque class. There were also raffle prizes. And so many of them that nearly everyone won something. I'm not telling you what I won...
Moving on to Pi(e) day and the food I'm cooking as I type. Because it is Pi(e) Day (3.14), I decided to make (with some assistance from Margo), apple hand pies. I haven't tasted them yet, but they look delicious:
Also in the works is Costillitas en Naranja (Mexican Ribs In Orange & Chili Sauce). It's not completely done yet, but we are hungry so we each had one not quite totally tender rib with a drizzle of sauce to tide us over until it's completely done and the barley is ready to go under it. Here's a picture near the beginning of the cooking process:
And finally, here's what happens around here when you get up off the couch to go tend to your cooking:
While this one looks on in disdain:
Thursday, March 10, 2011
A Cooking Update
It's been way to long since my last post, again. I have so much to catch up on.
For starters, I made so very many new recipes in the last couple of weeks. Some of them were great and some of them were iffy. My new favorite recipe, however, is this recipe which is for cookies that are healthy, with no sugar (except what's in the chocolate chips) and no flour. I know you're probably skeptical, but they are totally delicious and feel like a total treat. Here's a picture of the dough below:
I also made spinach and chickpeas Jamie Oliver style. I think I used too much vegetable broth powder, so it tasted a little to salty and vegetable brothy. I also had about a quarter of the spinach called for in the recipe. I think that the sauteed spinach in combination with the sauteed onions (which were sliced rather than diced) was just altogether too much sliminess for me as well. I am typically a fan of both spinach and onions, but the slime factor here was more than I could handle. But here is a really nice (if I do say so myself) picture of the end product:
I also made the first bread I've made in years, and the first entirely whole wheat bread I've ever made. I used this recipe, substituting agave nectar for the honey. I found the end product to be quite heavy and very dry. I'm not sure why, either. I was hoping for something a little chewy and crusty, and found neither of those in this recipe. I don't think that it was due to the agave nectar substitution, but I don't honestly know enough about the science of baking to know that for sure. I've also learned that there are surprisingly few recipes for whole wheat bread that call for only whole wheat flour. Some of the recipes call for the addition of wheat gluten if you're only using whole wheat flour, and most just call for some white flour or bread flour. This is clearly something I'm going to have to investigate/learn more about if I'm going to be making more bread anytime soon. I will say, however, that the dough was delicious. I also learned that if you eat a lot of bread dough, it does some strange things in your stomach and you wind up having burps that feel carbonated. Here are a couple of pictures of the end product. You can see how the loaf of bread just collapsed at some point in the process.
Finally, I also tried a recipe for Double Coconut Chicken. I simultaneously cooked brown rice with some shredded, unsweetened coconut and then served the whole thing over the rice along with some steamed broccoli. I think this would have been much better had I salted and peppered the food as directed in the recipe. I also didn't brown the chicken as well as I would have liked. As it was, it turned out a little bland. The recipe was pretty easy to execute, though. And here are the results of that endeavor:
It even looks a little bland, doesn't it? I also question the quality of my saffron. I purchased it some time ago for a ridiculously small amount of money at World Market. I think it's worth another shot, although I might go an entirely different route next time and use some Thai seasonings instead.
So there's your cooking update. If you have recipes you love, I would love for you to share them. I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Especially recipes that real live people cook in their real life kitchens with reasonable ingredients. I've recently been checking cookbooks out of the library in droves as well, so if you have any cookbook recommendations, I'm all ears. I recently purchased Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonable Kitchen after checking it out of the library and loving it. You might want to check it out as well.
For starters, I made so very many new recipes in the last couple of weeks. Some of them were great and some of them were iffy. My new favorite recipe, however, is this recipe which is for cookies that are healthy, with no sugar (except what's in the chocolate chips) and no flour. I know you're probably skeptical, but they are totally delicious and feel like a total treat. Here's a picture of the dough below:
I also made spinach and chickpeas Jamie Oliver style. I think I used too much vegetable broth powder, so it tasted a little to salty and vegetable brothy. I also had about a quarter of the spinach called for in the recipe. I think that the sauteed spinach in combination with the sauteed onions (which were sliced rather than diced) was just altogether too much sliminess for me as well. I am typically a fan of both spinach and onions, but the slime factor here was more than I could handle. But here is a really nice (if I do say so myself) picture of the end product:
I also made the first bread I've made in years, and the first entirely whole wheat bread I've ever made. I used this recipe, substituting agave nectar for the honey. I found the end product to be quite heavy and very dry. I'm not sure why, either. I was hoping for something a little chewy and crusty, and found neither of those in this recipe. I don't think that it was due to the agave nectar substitution, but I don't honestly know enough about the science of baking to know that for sure. I've also learned that there are surprisingly few recipes for whole wheat bread that call for only whole wheat flour. Some of the recipes call for the addition of wheat gluten if you're only using whole wheat flour, and most just call for some white flour or bread flour. This is clearly something I'm going to have to investigate/learn more about if I'm going to be making more bread anytime soon. I will say, however, that the dough was delicious. I also learned that if you eat a lot of bread dough, it does some strange things in your stomach and you wind up having burps that feel carbonated. Here are a couple of pictures of the end product. You can see how the loaf of bread just collapsed at some point in the process.
Finally, I also tried a recipe for Double Coconut Chicken. I simultaneously cooked brown rice with some shredded, unsweetened coconut and then served the whole thing over the rice along with some steamed broccoli. I think this would have been much better had I salted and peppered the food as directed in the recipe. I also didn't brown the chicken as well as I would have liked. As it was, it turned out a little bland. The recipe was pretty easy to execute, though. And here are the results of that endeavor:
So there's your cooking update. If you have recipes you love, I would love for you to share them. I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Especially recipes that real live people cook in their real life kitchens with reasonable ingredients. I've recently been checking cookbooks out of the library in droves as well, so if you have any cookbook recommendations, I'm all ears. I recently purchased Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonable Kitchen after checking it out of the library and loving it. You might want to check it out as well.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
My Oscar Opinions
With the Oscars coming up tomorrow evening, I had to do a quick post about my thoughts on the nominees for Best Picture. Especially since I busted my ass to make sure I saw all of them before the show. To give you a little context, the Oscars are sort of the highlight of my year, television-wise. They have been for a long time. So here are my thoughts, and a prediction.
I am fairly certain, as are many other people, that The King's Speech will likely take home the Oscar for Best Picture. It was, to be honest, a really great film. Margo and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If I got to pick, however, I would choose 127 Hours. I really did not want to see this movie, and I cannot say that I enjoyed the experience of watching this movie, at least not all of it. I was, however, amazed by how engaged and interested I was and by how much I enjoyed all but five minutes of the movie. Now I'll give you my brief response to each of the nominated films.
127 Hours: See above. I really did not want to see this movie. If it had not been nominated, and had not seen James Franco on The Daily Show, I probably would not have seen this movie. That being said, I enjoyed the vast majority of the movie. I was unable to watch the five minutes of the movie where the man was removing his arm. It was far more gruesome and horrific than I was prepared for. I also found it surprisingly inspiring. And it gave me cause to spend some time thinking about whether I would be capable of enduring what he endured and of removing my own arm. I think I probably would have just killed myself.
Black Swan: I thought this movie was pretty well done. It was disturbing, and there were a lot of elements (physical injuries) that totally grossed me out. The sex scene was hot, and probably the main reason any straight men saw the movie. I also thought it was a remarkable demonstration of the stress-vulnerability model.
The Fighter: Another movie I wasn't particularly interested in seeing. I'm not really into boxing and had been generally irritated by the fact that Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo had all been nominated for Oscars but Mark Wahlberg hadn't. I'm a pretty big Mark Wahlberg fan, and have been sitting in judgment of Christian Bale, especially after seeing his hair and beard at the Golden Globes. But we finally saw this movie last night, and it was really quite good. And Christian Bale deserves his Golden Globe and I hope he wins the Oscar. He was unbelievable. Regardless of what I think of him as a person, that man is an INCREDIBLE actor. The movie was inspiring and heartwarming and turned out to be about so much more than boxing.
Inception: I saw this movie the first time at the IMAX. It was a great way to watch the movie. I enjoyed it. It is a total mindf--k. I've seen it again since, and enjoyed it the second time as well. I don't know how I feel about Leonardo DiCaprio at this point (side note: I sent him an invitation to my high school graduation) but I enjoyed the movie. And the visual effects are pretty awesome.
The Kids Are All Right: This was a wonderful, although painful, movie. I was appalled that it was nominated for a Golden Globe in the comedy category. Occasional funny moments do not a comedy make. The acting was superb and it was so real to life. I could identify with both female characters and could imagine feeling the things they were feeling in their circumstances. Excellent film.
The King's Speech: Like I said, I think this one is going to win it. This was a very enjoyable movie. Colin Firth did an outstanding job of acting a speech impediment. I've known a number of people with stutters, and he did it very realistically. It was also heartwarming and inspiring, and I actually wound up doing a little reading up on King George VI when we got home, because I was more interested in the history than I had been previously. I won't begrudge it it's Oscar.
The Social Network: This was another movie I never would have seen if it had not been nominated and I did not have a secret love for Justin Timberlake. I was pretty impressed at the way that they made what was essentially a deposition so engaging. I left the movie feeling pretty sorry for the Facebook guy. I also thought that the movie kind of made it seem like he has an autism spectrum disorder. He reminded me of a guy I used to work with who had Asperger's. I wouldn't have nominated this for a Best Picture.
Toy Story 3: Another movie I definitely would not have seen without the nomination. This nomination is one of the reasons I'm a little irritated that they increased the number of Best Picture nominees to 10. It was cute, it made us a little faclempt, but it is not a Best Picture by any stretch.
True Grit: I have to say that this is the movie that I enjoyed watching most out of all of them. It was funny, it was compelling, I loved the actress who played the main character (Supporting Role, my ass!) and I always love Jeff Bridges. In general, however, the Coen brothers are so hit and miss for me. I find that I either really like their movies (The Big Lebowski is one of my all time favorite movies) or I am left feeling irritated, confused or feeling like I just wasted two hours of my life (A Serious Man, seriously?). True Grit, however, is a big winner in my book. I would watch that again, which is pretty unusual for me.
Winter's Bone: This movie was depressing. I did not enjoy watching it, although I thought it was good, if that makes sense. It definitely confirmed for me that I do not want to cook meth, nor do I want to live out in BFE with all of my f--ked up relatives who cook meth. There is no happy ending when that's your life.
So there you have it. Hopefully I haven't given anything away. I tried not to do that. I'd love to hear what your pick is and what you thought of the movies.
I am fairly certain, as are many other people, that The King's Speech will likely take home the Oscar for Best Picture. It was, to be honest, a really great film. Margo and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If I got to pick, however, I would choose 127 Hours. I really did not want to see this movie, and I cannot say that I enjoyed the experience of watching this movie, at least not all of it. I was, however, amazed by how engaged and interested I was and by how much I enjoyed all but five minutes of the movie. Now I'll give you my brief response to each of the nominated films.
127 Hours: See above. I really did not want to see this movie. If it had not been nominated, and had not seen James Franco on The Daily Show, I probably would not have seen this movie. That being said, I enjoyed the vast majority of the movie. I was unable to watch the five minutes of the movie where the man was removing his arm. It was far more gruesome and horrific than I was prepared for. I also found it surprisingly inspiring. And it gave me cause to spend some time thinking about whether I would be capable of enduring what he endured and of removing my own arm. I think I probably would have just killed myself.
Black Swan: I thought this movie was pretty well done. It was disturbing, and there were a lot of elements (physical injuries) that totally grossed me out. The sex scene was hot, and probably the main reason any straight men saw the movie. I also thought it was a remarkable demonstration of the stress-vulnerability model.
The Fighter: Another movie I wasn't particularly interested in seeing. I'm not really into boxing and had been generally irritated by the fact that Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo had all been nominated for Oscars but Mark Wahlberg hadn't. I'm a pretty big Mark Wahlberg fan, and have been sitting in judgment of Christian Bale, especially after seeing his hair and beard at the Golden Globes. But we finally saw this movie last night, and it was really quite good. And Christian Bale deserves his Golden Globe and I hope he wins the Oscar. He was unbelievable. Regardless of what I think of him as a person, that man is an INCREDIBLE actor. The movie was inspiring and heartwarming and turned out to be about so much more than boxing.
Inception: I saw this movie the first time at the IMAX. It was a great way to watch the movie. I enjoyed it. It is a total mindf--k. I've seen it again since, and enjoyed it the second time as well. I don't know how I feel about Leonardo DiCaprio at this point (side note: I sent him an invitation to my high school graduation) but I enjoyed the movie. And the visual effects are pretty awesome.
The Kids Are All Right: This was a wonderful, although painful, movie. I was appalled that it was nominated for a Golden Globe in the comedy category. Occasional funny moments do not a comedy make. The acting was superb and it was so real to life. I could identify with both female characters and could imagine feeling the things they were feeling in their circumstances. Excellent film.
The King's Speech: Like I said, I think this one is going to win it. This was a very enjoyable movie. Colin Firth did an outstanding job of acting a speech impediment. I've known a number of people with stutters, and he did it very realistically. It was also heartwarming and inspiring, and I actually wound up doing a little reading up on King George VI when we got home, because I was more interested in the history than I had been previously. I won't begrudge it it's Oscar.
The Social Network: This was another movie I never would have seen if it had not been nominated and I did not have a secret love for Justin Timberlake. I was pretty impressed at the way that they made what was essentially a deposition so engaging. I left the movie feeling pretty sorry for the Facebook guy. I also thought that the movie kind of made it seem like he has an autism spectrum disorder. He reminded me of a guy I used to work with who had Asperger's. I wouldn't have nominated this for a Best Picture.
Toy Story 3: Another movie I definitely would not have seen without the nomination. This nomination is one of the reasons I'm a little irritated that they increased the number of Best Picture nominees to 10. It was cute, it made us a little faclempt, but it is not a Best Picture by any stretch.
True Grit: I have to say that this is the movie that I enjoyed watching most out of all of them. It was funny, it was compelling, I loved the actress who played the main character (Supporting Role, my ass!) and I always love Jeff Bridges. In general, however, the Coen brothers are so hit and miss for me. I find that I either really like their movies (The Big Lebowski is one of my all time favorite movies) or I am left feeling irritated, confused or feeling like I just wasted two hours of my life (A Serious Man, seriously?). True Grit, however, is a big winner in my book. I would watch that again, which is pretty unusual for me.
Winter's Bone: This movie was depressing. I did not enjoy watching it, although I thought it was good, if that makes sense. It definitely confirmed for me that I do not want to cook meth, nor do I want to live out in BFE with all of my f--ked up relatives who cook meth. There is no happy ending when that's your life.
So there you have it. Hopefully I haven't given anything away. I tried not to do that. I'd love to hear what your pick is and what you thought of the movies.
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