The object of his rejection?
April 19, 2005
A FUNGUS AMONG US
The straw bale garden bed has been busy decomposing and inviting all sorts of organisms in for a visit. Out of curiosity J pulled back the burlap and found a few funny looking fungi. We’ll leave them there for now or at least until tomorrow when I hope to do some garden maintenance after work. Weather has been sunny and dry so it’s time I get back out there and assess the situation. The plants that I have started inside are tremendoudly healthy and eager to thrive. I’m reluctant to put them outside just yet. Nights are still chilly. I have to keep reminding myself – it’s only April!
April 15, 2005
QUEEN OF THE BOOBS (better than the King of Beers)
Lately it's all about food. I'm OK with that. Today, I was joined by Donna, Joanna, Kathi, Randie, Laura, Stephanie and Dave/Doug/Duane for lunch at Green Village in the International District. Joanna, who continues to claim that she is Chinese, swore that we could get authentic Chinese food at this place. Like we'd know if it wasn't? Anywhoooooo, Joanna was at least correct when she told us the food was good. It was really good. I think I speak for all of us when I say this. I had the Korean Noodle Soup. I was at first nervous to see a bowl bigger than my head arrive. I had forgtotten to specify that I wanted the small. But I ate the whole damn thing. It was full of broccoli, cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, onions, pork, shrimp, scallop, squid and lots of noodles. Stephanie declared that Green Village is the best food she has eaten in Seattle ever. She also admitted to only eating in about three or four different places since she moved here (one of them being McDonald's) so what does she know? Everyone was very pleased with Green Village.
There was bubble tea after that at Oasis Tea Zone. The Red Bean Milk Tea with tapioca pearls was today's flavor. I'd never tried red bean before and I liked it very much. I don't think I've ever repeated a bubble tea flavor more than twice because I keep trying new ones. Joanna, an educator at heart, instructed us in the origin of bubble tea. The drink began in Taiwan and is also called "boba." Boba is derived from the Cantonese words bo, for breast (but not Joanna's), and ba, something that is the best of the best, or someone who is the queen of something, the top of the line. So boba is the slang terminology for the tapioca pearls in the drink. Put it all together and you have the queen of the boobs tea.
Wait, I forgot about the stop to Cake House. Very yummy things to be found in there. Lots of coconut options. Picked up a coconut almond bun and a red bean paste bun for later this weekend. After all of this we crammed our bobas into Doug/Dave/Duane's Durango and drove back to work. I suggest we take another field trip soon. There must be something else Joanna can teach us.
There was bubble tea after that at Oasis Tea Zone. The Red Bean Milk Tea with tapioca pearls was today's flavor. I'd never tried red bean before and I liked it very much. I don't think I've ever repeated a bubble tea flavor more than twice because I keep trying new ones. Joanna, an educator at heart, instructed us in the origin of bubble tea. The drink began in Taiwan and is also called "boba." Boba is derived from the Cantonese words bo, for breast (but not Joanna's), and ba, something that is the best of the best, or someone who is the queen of something, the top of the line. So boba is the slang terminology for the tapioca pearls in the drink. Put it all together and you have the queen of the boobs tea.
Wait, I forgot about the stop to Cake House. Very yummy things to be found in there. Lots of coconut options. Picked up a coconut almond bun and a red bean paste bun for later this weekend. After all of this we crammed our bobas into Doug/Dave/Duane's Durango and drove back to work. I suggest we take another field trip soon. There must be something else Joanna can teach us.
April 14, 2005
Yesterday was Andrea’s birthday and as is the custom around here, we lunched at Todai, a sushi buffet where the birthday celebrant eats for free. For the money, Todai is a great way to get your sushi grub on. It’s pretty darn tasty. In addition to tons of freshly prepared sushi, there are Japanese salads and sides, a full line of hot foods like meat dishes, soups, tempura, etc., a crepe station and a wide array of desserts. Personally, I avoid everything but the sushi. I make that my goal since I don’t eat the deep fried stuff anyway and can get sweets any time. I’m all about the sushi. We had a very good time, ate ourselves silly, caught up on work and personal gossip, and hung out with the birthday girl. Erin’s birthday is next - June 1. Keep your calendars and your pants open.
April 12, 2005
IT'S ONLY TUESDAY
It was a busy, productive, and fun weekend. Friday after work I was joined by Sally, Andrea and Sian for free wine tasting at Tarragona Food and Wine. This was the second installment of tasting wines from the Loire Valley. To accompany the sweet and spicy homemade veggie chili waiting for us at my house, Sian bought a bottle of wine with sweet pear overtones. For dessert, Sally bought some Blanxart dark chocolate. Blanxart is produced in Barcelona, in the Catalonia region of Spain. I was familiar with the chocolate before I visited Barcelona so I was really happy to find it was made there and readily available. To compliment the chocolate, Andrea bought the Vouvray featured in the tasting and some delicious goat cheese. The chili was a hit and we had a really great time. Sian, I have your socks. Uh, that sounds weird.
I was up early Saturday and Sunday morning and set to work running errands before the rest of Seattle rolled out of bed. Each day I made sure to get back home before the weekend warriors hit the stores. Once home, I fired up the weed-whacker and gave everything green within reach a crew cut, including the side of the house and the front slopes. I sowed new batches of seeds like parsnips, carrots, cilantro, nasturtiums, micro greens, sunflowers, spinach, and icicle radishes. Also started some seeds indoors for some herbs and for a couple types of tomatoes. This year we are going to buy the majority of out tomato plants to see how they compare to home grown plants. Picked up some lemon cucumber starts which are relaxing under the grow lights. While I was rolling around in the dirt this weekend I was very please to discover the abundance of vermiculture in our yard. Not sure that we will use straw as mulch again this Fall, but I can't deny that it broke down and brought on the worms! I repotted plants, purchased hummingbird feeders, weeded and weeded and weeded, discovered alien-sized strawberry runners going every which way, and tried hot pepper spray for the first time. The slugs are unphased but it should work for plenty of other pests. Will buy some cheap beer this week.
House projects kept me busy as well. Cleaned out closets, did lots of laundry, reorganized and purged my wardrobe and took stuff to the Lifelong Aids Alliance thrift store, did all the grocery shopping, and managed to prepare myself three squares a day - every day.
This afternoon I pick up J from the airport. It is very good to have her back. I missed her. Then tonight I have Boot Camp from 6:30 to 7:20. Busy, busy, busy. But today is the exception. Tomorrow life returns to normal and I can slow down a little. Phew.
I was up early Saturday and Sunday morning and set to work running errands before the rest of Seattle rolled out of bed. Each day I made sure to get back home before the weekend warriors hit the stores. Once home, I fired up the weed-whacker and gave everything green within reach a crew cut, including the side of the house and the front slopes. I sowed new batches of seeds like parsnips, carrots, cilantro, nasturtiums, micro greens, sunflowers, spinach, and icicle radishes. Also started some seeds indoors for some herbs and for a couple types of tomatoes. This year we are going to buy the majority of out tomato plants to see how they compare to home grown plants. Picked up some lemon cucumber starts which are relaxing under the grow lights. While I was rolling around in the dirt this weekend I was very please to discover the abundance of vermiculture in our yard. Not sure that we will use straw as mulch again this Fall, but I can't deny that it broke down and brought on the worms! I repotted plants, purchased hummingbird feeders, weeded and weeded and weeded, discovered alien-sized strawberry runners going every which way, and tried hot pepper spray for the first time. The slugs are unphased but it should work for plenty of other pests. Will buy some cheap beer this week.
House projects kept me busy as well. Cleaned out closets, did lots of laundry, reorganized and purged my wardrobe and took stuff to the Lifelong Aids Alliance thrift store, did all the grocery shopping, and managed to prepare myself three squares a day - every day.
This afternoon I pick up J from the airport. It is very good to have her back. I missed her. Then tonight I have Boot Camp from 6:30 to 7:20. Busy, busy, busy. But today is the exception. Tomorrow life returns to normal and I can slow down a little. Phew.
April 06, 2005
PHO CRYIN' OUT LOUD!
Finally found some pho (pronounced fo by some and fuh by others) in Cleveland. Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup that comes with any number of accompanying meats. A bowl of steaming pho is always accompanied by a plate of bean sprouts, fresh Thai basil, and thinly sliced jalapenos. Diane, Concetta and I vetured to Pho Hoa located at 3030 Superior Avenue. The owner personally visits your table to ensure all is well and to encourage you to eat. He must be part Italian. I had chicken pho and it was pretty tasty. Slightly different than what I am used to but I truly enjoyed it. I did miss the small cream puff that comes with the usual condiments at my local pho joint.
Concetta had the lunch special: asparagus soup, mixed green salad with mango, and a pork bahn mi. Pho Hoa boasts the best bahn mi in Cleveland and has the framed proof on the wall (I’m still looking for all the competition but a vote is a vote). Bahn mi is a Vietnamese sandwich on a French baguette stuffed with a wide variety of meats or tofu. Add to this julienned daikon, carrots, cucumber, jalapenos, a light schmear of spicy mayo and fresh sprigs of cilantro and you have a bahn mi. All for around $2 (in Seattle). The Pho Hoa bahn mi was tasty enough but I’m partial to the bahn mi in Seattle. For all I know this is simply a regional issue. Perhaps the owner of Pho Hoa is from a different part of Vietnam than the Vietnamese folks in the Little Saigon part of Seattle’s International District; just like New York style pizza is different than Chicago pizza is different than Cleveland pizza. Pizza didn’t originate in these places but each region has its signature style. The Cleveland bahn mi, more specifically the Pho Hoa bahn mi, came only in pork, is smaller, the baguette shaped more like a wide hot dog bun and is smooth on top. A little softer too. The meat was thinly sliced rather than the thicker, roasted or barbecued version of pork bahn mi in Seattle. A Seattle bahn mi baguette is shaped like a football, a little bigger, scored on top, and crunchier on the outside.
Diane had a cabbage salad with pork that was quite delicious. I’m looking for similar recipes online because I’d really love to make this dish at home. We all finished out the meal with bubble tea. Bubble Tea (also commonly known as 'boba tea', 'pearl tea', or some other words I can’t pronounce) first originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Now it has become an international drink as its popularity continues to grow worldwide. You have to like tapioca, big pearls of it. Bubble tea usually starts with some degree of tea, some element of creaminess (milk, non-dairy creamer), a powdered flavor, chopped up fruit or other tasty bits depending on the flavor you’ve chosen, and something sweet – sugar, syrup, etc. Some places blend up the drink like a smoothie by adding crushed ice, some don’t. Most places offer a few dozen flavors. The tapioca pearls fall to the bottom of the cup and you suck them up through the extra wide straw. You can also get bubble tea from #1 Pho on the next block over from Pho Hoa. So who’s with me next time? We can all head downtown for Vietnamese food!
Thanks to bloggers Jen for her suggestions regarding Vietnamese food and to Mrs. Aitch at Cleveland Love Letter for her help. Visit Mrs. Aitch's blog for informative and informal food reviews of Cleveland grub.
Concetta had the lunch special: asparagus soup, mixed green salad with mango, and a pork bahn mi. Pho Hoa boasts the best bahn mi in Cleveland and has the framed proof on the wall (I’m still looking for all the competition but a vote is a vote). Bahn mi is a Vietnamese sandwich on a French baguette stuffed with a wide variety of meats or tofu. Add to this julienned daikon, carrots, cucumber, jalapenos, a light schmear of spicy mayo and fresh sprigs of cilantro and you have a bahn mi. All for around $2 (in Seattle). The Pho Hoa bahn mi was tasty enough but I’m partial to the bahn mi in Seattle. For all I know this is simply a regional issue. Perhaps the owner of Pho Hoa is from a different part of Vietnam than the Vietnamese folks in the Little Saigon part of Seattle’s International District; just like New York style pizza is different than Chicago pizza is different than Cleveland pizza. Pizza didn’t originate in these places but each region has its signature style. The Cleveland bahn mi, more specifically the Pho Hoa bahn mi, came only in pork, is smaller, the baguette shaped more like a wide hot dog bun and is smooth on top. A little softer too. The meat was thinly sliced rather than the thicker, roasted or barbecued version of pork bahn mi in Seattle. A Seattle bahn mi baguette is shaped like a football, a little bigger, scored on top, and crunchier on the outside.
Diane had a cabbage salad with pork that was quite delicious. I’m looking for similar recipes online because I’d really love to make this dish at home. We all finished out the meal with bubble tea. Bubble Tea (also commonly known as 'boba tea', 'pearl tea', or some other words I can’t pronounce) first originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Now it has become an international drink as its popularity continues to grow worldwide. You have to like tapioca, big pearls of it. Bubble tea usually starts with some degree of tea, some element of creaminess (milk, non-dairy creamer), a powdered flavor, chopped up fruit or other tasty bits depending on the flavor you’ve chosen, and something sweet – sugar, syrup, etc. Some places blend up the drink like a smoothie by adding crushed ice, some don’t. Most places offer a few dozen flavors. The tapioca pearls fall to the bottom of the cup and you suck them up through the extra wide straw. You can also get bubble tea from #1 Pho on the next block over from Pho Hoa. So who’s with me next time? We can all head downtown for Vietnamese food!
Thanks to bloggers Jen for her suggestions regarding Vietnamese food and to Mrs. Aitch at Cleveland Love Letter for her help. Visit Mrs. Aitch's blog for informative and informal food reviews of Cleveland grub.
April 05, 2005
CLEVELAND MARCH 2005
FYI, I've added a link to some pictures from the latest trip home over the Easter holiday. Click on this Cleveland March 2005 link here or on the sidebar. Not at all pleased with the edit tools on Photobucket.com. That will teach me to upload uneditted pics. A lesson learned. I don't feel like deleting the whole album and starting over so I'll just apologize for any rotated photos or other mishaps. The stories will follow shortly in the blog and in the newsletter.
IT'S GOOD TO BE THE KING
Fresh, wild King salmon. There's nothing like it. J and I purchased a whole salmon yesterday at Wild Salmon Seafood Company at The Fisherman's Terminal and had it filleted. She took half the fish home with her this morning. Last night we prepared part of our stash.
Citrus Broiled Wild Salmon
4 8 oz. salmon fillets
¼ cup green onions thinly sliced
2 oranges
cracked black pepper
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
dash of salt
Slice oranges crosswise into ¼” rounds. Season salmon fillets with salt. Broil fillets 4-6” from heat, allowing approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove fillets just before done and sprinkle with vinegar. Arrange orange slices on top and sprinkle with green onion. Broil one minute longer and serve. Serves 4.
We didn't have green onion so we tossed on some capers and we didn't have red wine vinegar so we used balsamic. So I suggest you do the same. It was amazingly delicious. Add to this some green zuccini that received a quick sautee with oil and garlic and parsely. And we had couscous to which I added a sautee of finely diced mushroom, carrot, onion, kalamata olives and red pepper flakes.
Cook dinner tonight!
Citrus Broiled Wild Salmon
4 8 oz. salmon fillets
¼ cup green onions thinly sliced
2 oranges
cracked black pepper
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
dash of salt
Slice oranges crosswise into ¼” rounds. Season salmon fillets with salt. Broil fillets 4-6” from heat, allowing approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove fillets just before done and sprinkle with vinegar. Arrange orange slices on top and sprinkle with green onion. Broil one minute longer and serve. Serves 4.
We didn't have green onion so we tossed on some capers and we didn't have red wine vinegar so we used balsamic. So I suggest you do the same. It was amazingly delicious. Add to this some green zuccini that received a quick sautee with oil and garlic and parsely. And we had couscous to which I added a sautee of finely diced mushroom, carrot, onion, kalamata olives and red pepper flakes.
Cook dinner tonight!
CATCHING UP
Life has been busy. I'm way behind in the garden thanks to the rain, I've been working on a DVD project that proved unsuccessful, I'm working on the April edition of the newsletter, I've got house projects in various stages of completion, and I still have to go to work for several hours each day and waste my precious time. However, this morning I took J to the airport for her visit home so I will have the next whole week to myself in order to reign in the projects and get back on track.
I'd like to welcome Sally to the wonderful world of the Internet. Sally has acquired some DSL and is now surfing the waves with the rest of us. Sally is digging the tunes coming out of KCUV in Denver, her hometown. Since my house will also have DSL in about ten days, I will be listening soon. But I've visited the site and I'm looking forward to listening.
The Regence BlueShield building is extremely quiet at 5:30 a.m. Can't even get into the cafeteria for milk to go with my cereal. After I dropped J at the airport I came straight to work so I've been here since 5. I'll be leaving early today anyway.
More later, I promise.
I'd like to welcome Sally to the wonderful world of the Internet. Sally has acquired some DSL and is now surfing the waves with the rest of us. Sally is digging the tunes coming out of KCUV in Denver, her hometown. Since my house will also have DSL in about ten days, I will be listening soon. But I've visited the site and I'm looking forward to listening.
The Regence BlueShield building is extremely quiet at 5:30 a.m. Can't even get into the cafeteria for milk to go with my cereal. After I dropped J at the airport I came straight to work so I've been here since 5. I'll be leaving early today anyway.
More later, I promise.
March 31, 2005
BUFFALO OR BUST!
Well we sadly bid farewell to Mary at her send-off bash held at our place on March 19th. In attendance were Sian, Sally, Andrea, Barb, Laura and Duane, Christine and Craig, Whitney, Katrina, neighbor G, Kathy and J. We had a really good time and did an enormous amount of laughing. There were even select passages read from old (love?) letters Mary wrote to me. Excerpts are available for a $2 handling fee. Mary moved back to Buffalo on March 24th and was received in her home town by a ticker-tape parade, floats, the Orchard Park Fire Department Calendar Boys and the Silver Eagle Records Jubilee Singers. Good times, good times. Mary can be reached at mimrunfola@yahoo.com.
March 22, 2005
SO LONG, FAREWELL...
I know, I know, bodanzarama has been neglected lately. Things at work are a little busier. And life has not been terribly interesting. I still have to post pictures from Mary's going away party. It was a very good time. Perhaps I can try to work on that while I am in Cleveland if I can use someone's computer. I leave later this evening for the Northcoast and arrive around 8 am. I checked WEWS news and was concerned to read that rain and ice are moving into northeast Ohio within the next 24 hours. In fact, the weather looks pretty bleak for the duration of my visit.
Concetta and Iva are picking me up from the airport and we are heading to Wild Oats, the natural food market on Chagrin Blvd. We are then meeting Diane for lunch at Corky & Lenny's. I haven’t been there since I was in college. I’m looking forward to a big bowl of matzo ball soup and a pickle. Speaking of food, if you’ve been reading today’s posts, you know that I am on the hunt for pho and bubble tea in Cleveland. I believe that Pho Hoa is the place for me. They also offer bahn mi. Though the article I read did not call it bahn mi, a Vietnamese sandwhich on a French baguette (fillings vary greatly, this article mentioned pate and roast pork) is bahn mi. Perhaps I can coax Concetta into driving down to 3030 Superior Ave.? I won’t hold my breath. Perhaps some of my more adventurous cohorts will come along. We’ll see.
So I bid farewell for now. If I get my hands on a computer while I’m in Cleveland I will certainly post an update.
Concetta and Iva are picking me up from the airport and we are heading to Wild Oats, the natural food market on Chagrin Blvd. We are then meeting Diane for lunch at Corky & Lenny's. I haven’t been there since I was in college. I’m looking forward to a big bowl of matzo ball soup and a pickle. Speaking of food, if you’ve been reading today’s posts, you know that I am on the hunt for pho and bubble tea in Cleveland. I believe that Pho Hoa is the place for me. They also offer bahn mi. Though the article I read did not call it bahn mi, a Vietnamese sandwhich on a French baguette (fillings vary greatly, this article mentioned pate and roast pork) is bahn mi. Perhaps I can coax Concetta into driving down to 3030 Superior Ave.? I won’t hold my breath. Perhaps some of my more adventurous cohorts will come along. We’ll see.
So I bid farewell for now. If I get my hands on a computer while I’m in Cleveland I will certainly post an update.
PHO AND BUBBLE TEA
Mrs. Aitch,
I read more of your blog and did discover that Pho Hoa offers bubble tea and it sounds like (from your 11/7/2004 entry) bahn mi. I will make a point of going now. Thanks.
I read more of your blog and did discover that Pho Hoa offers bubble tea and it sounds like (from your 11/7/2004 entry) bahn mi. I will make a point of going now. Thanks.
SORRY FOR BUBBLE TEA CONFUSION
To the blogger I left the comment/question for this morning: If you've come to this page to see if I'm some kind of weirdo, I understand. It's only after finding other bubble tea links that I've concluded that your mention of Madison was not Madison, OH. However, I still believe that your mention of Cleveland is Cleveland, OH, right? Regardless, I'm sorry to have troubled you. It's just that I got really excited when I thought that there was a chance of getting bubble tea anywhere in northeast OH. If you like bubble tea too, I'm sure you understand. Have a good day!
March 18, 2005
Friday at last and pay day too! A busy night awaits. After free wine tasting at Tarragona Wine & Food, J and I will be buzzing around the homestead making pepperoni bread, cooking beans for bean dip, boiling eggs for deviled eggs, thawing J's homemade Asian meatballs, cranking KEXP or KBCS and cleaning house. We are preparing for tomorrow's going away party for Mary. She is moving back to Buffalo next week. At her specific request, we are throwing her a party. But she's bringing her own cake.
The garden enjoyed the rain and there are bursts of green everywhere. By the time I return from my trip home I will probably harvest a little arugula. Neighbor G has decided that the holly tree has stood in his way to build an arbor for his patio. He has decided to remove the tree with our help. Stay tuned for pictures of that project. He gets his arbor and we get more southern exposure for the garden! It's a win-win.
J wants bubble tea. She just called to ask if I was also in the mood for an indulgence later. Sure, why not? It's been months since I've had a bubble tea. Something to look forward to after work.
The garden enjoyed the rain and there are bursts of green everywhere. By the time I return from my trip home I will probably harvest a little arugula. Neighbor G has decided that the holly tree has stood in his way to build an arbor for his patio. He has decided to remove the tree with our help. Stay tuned for pictures of that project. He gets his arbor and we get more southern exposure for the garden! It's a win-win.
J wants bubble tea. She just called to ask if I was also in the mood for an indulgence later. Sure, why not? It's been months since I've had a bubble tea. Something to look forward to after work.
March 17, 2005
The skies finally opened and the rain finally fell. At least until early afternoon. When I took a walk at around 2:15 the skies were only partly cloudy and there was a fair amount of sunshine making its way to the pavement. By the time I left work at 2:45 the sky looked like the photo below. By the time the bus dropped me at my stop, it was hailing. By the time I walked home, I’d been hailed harder than Caesar and had very wet pants (from the rain and hail, not from fear or incontinence). The weather changes on a dime here. I nabbed this photo from today’s edition of The Seattle Times.
March 14, 2005
FISH TALES
Because Regence BlueShield coughed up an incentive check this year, my co-workers and I decided we should spend it while we had it. We set off two blocks from the office to The Oceanaire Seafood Room, a tony eating spot that boasts of the freshest fish and the biggest flower arrangements.
The place is decked out like a 30's era ocean liner with music to match. If one was in the mood one could sink a veritable treasure at lunch. However, the lunch menu does provide selections that won't necessarily wash you up on shore in tatters. Still, The Oceanaire is the kind of place that is considered a special treat. Currently, the lunch menu is offering a chef's seasonal prix fixe, three course meal for $14.95. There is also soup and salad, simple fish and chips, Costa Rican dayboat mahi-mahi, Hawaiian wahoo, fish stew, and one of my favorites - fish tacos (it's fancier then it sounds). The food was fabulous and nobody needed a doggie bag. I think the next time we go at least half of us will be ordering the chicken salad which is served with apple wedges in half of a head of iceberg lettuce . We saw enough of these go past our table to whet our appetites for next time.
The only drawback to this whole affair is that it took three hours! Not sure why. Granted, we had nine people at our table. But other tables were almost as large and came and went before we even got dessert. You would think that it's kind of an unwritten rule that lunch crowds are on a bit of a schedule. Perhaps before we order next time we will mention that time is a concern. Below are a few shots I captured during lunch.
The place is decked out like a 30's era ocean liner with music to match. If one was in the mood one could sink a veritable treasure at lunch. However, the lunch menu does provide selections that won't necessarily wash you up on shore in tatters. Still, The Oceanaire is the kind of place that is considered a special treat. Currently, the lunch menu is offering a chef's seasonal prix fixe, three course meal for $14.95. There is also soup and salad, simple fish and chips, Costa Rican dayboat mahi-mahi, Hawaiian wahoo, fish stew, and one of my favorites - fish tacos (it's fancier then it sounds). The food was fabulous and nobody needed a doggie bag. I think the next time we go at least half of us will be ordering the chicken salad which is served with apple wedges in half of a head of iceberg lettuce . We saw enough of these go past our table to whet our appetites for next time.
The only drawback to this whole affair is that it took three hours! Not sure why. Granted, we had nine people at our table. But other tables were almost as large and came and went before we even got dessert. You would think that it's kind of an unwritten rule that lunch crowds are on a bit of a schedule. Perhaps before we order next time we will mention that time is a concern. Below are a few shots I captured during lunch.
March 10, 2005
BLOGGY WENT A COURTIN'
Thank you Jennifer for admitting in an email to me that you read bodanzarama and also read the Northwest News! Thanks very much! There will be another issue (of what I'm not sure but in the newsletter genre) in April.
In the works are a second blog being created on MyBlogSite.com. I want to see what other free blog sites have to offer. MyBlogSite.com is the latest guinea pig. As with most internet experiments, it's usually only a matter of minutes before some feature doesn't do what they claim it will do. Such is the case with MyBlogSite.com. So we shall see what the support people say in answer to my questions - if I receive answers at all. If the answers are to my liking, then I will continue. If not, then ciao to MyBlogSite. Any free blog site suggestions please let me know.
Hey, not-very-Anonymous-comment person, we had steer poop in the car. Need I say more?
Will it ever rain again? Washington is facing a serious drought situation. The government muckety-mucks are meeting on it very soon to discuss emergency options, particularly in eastern Washington. J and I are researching some water preservation techniques beyond the ones we already practice. We thought about getting a rain barrel but what would we put in it? Once we convert to "green" laundry detergent the option of "gray water" is available at least for the non-vegetable plants. We'll see what happens. I'm sure you're all dying to know.
In the works are a second blog being created on MyBlogSite.com. I want to see what other free blog sites have to offer. MyBlogSite.com is the latest guinea pig. As with most internet experiments, it's usually only a matter of minutes before some feature doesn't do what they claim it will do. Such is the case with MyBlogSite.com. So we shall see what the support people say in answer to my questions - if I receive answers at all. If the answers are to my liking, then I will continue. If not, then ciao to MyBlogSite. Any free blog site suggestions please let me know.
Hey, not-very-Anonymous-comment person, we had steer poop in the car. Need I say more?
Will it ever rain again? Washington is facing a serious drought situation. The government muckety-mucks are meeting on it very soon to discuss emergency options, particularly in eastern Washington. J and I are researching some water preservation techniques beyond the ones we already practice. We thought about getting a rain barrel but what would we put in it? Once we convert to "green" laundry detergent the option of "gray water" is available at least for the non-vegetable plants. We'll see what happens. I'm sure you're all dying to know.
March 08, 2005
A SPRING IN MY STEP
We are experiencing another fabulous day in the Northwest. No rain, a fair amount of sun, but above all - warm temperatures. It's about 65 degrees and breezy. I wish, I wish, I wish I were at home in the garden digging in the dirt and wiping it on my clothes. Discovered a new pest on the garlic and the leeks. A scary, pointy inch-worm thing. Ate much of the greenery. Bastards! Will look into natural pest control this weekend. Will have to find my shorts and give them all a wash. And I suppose I will have to start shaving my legs more consistently. Damn. It's a pain but I guess it's worth it. Work is slow. It's time to go home soon. Hopefully I can duck out of here in about 10 minutes and walk to catch the #8 bus. This is all very interesting, I know. Stayed tuned for all the fabulous details of my life.
March 07, 2005
TURKEY IN THE STRAW
I'd read that one method to deter cats from getting into your garden was to distribute citrus peels in the area. Cats, supposedly, hate the smell. The female cat, Idgie, truly detests citrus and will wince and run away if she comes anywhere near it. Apparently, Henry, the Orange Wonder, has no aversion to citrus. Or to garlic. The lure of the warm straw was too great. With garlic and orange peels all around him, he snoozes blissfully. You can see the bulk of the garlic in the yellow bed and a row of it in the bed in which Henry is napping. You can also see the fresh, dark row of compost in which I recently sowed peas.
BUSY AND FUN WEEKEND
Another great NW weekend. Friday Julie fired up the grill and flame-broiled herself a steak, some turkey sausage for Mary and a great piece of talapia for me. We watched the movie "Sordid Lives." Pretty funny if you can stay awake for the whole thing, or at least 20 minutes. Apparently, I am the only one who can. Julie and Mary were snoozing shortly into the film. It's not a reflection of the film. It's clearly a reflection of each of them. And they know it.
Saturday there was grocery shopping, hardware hunting, backpack exploring and yardwork. At the grocery store we saved big time. The store ran their popular $10 coupon plus we had the $5 off coupon from the Entertainment book plus all the store deals plus a discount of $.03 for each bag we brought from home in which to pack the groceries. We always bring at least three canvas totes in which we pack our groceries. Please consider doing the same. Yesterday we used not one grocery store bag to pack up.
Our trip to Greenwood True Value hardware store was a success. Greenwood is not our neighborhood but we really like their hardware store. We want to shop locally and we try to avoid Lowe's if at all possible. The owner of the Greenwood store, Marty, is always helpful and takes the time to explain things. We purchased some new hardware for the kitchen sink and a new timer switch for the fan in the bathroom. He even let us borrow a special wrench for working on the parts under the sink. Julie then replaced the kitchen faucet and bathroom timer. That bathrrom remodelling class is really paying off. Plus, she got me a present - every girl's dream - a wheelbarrow! So I set to work in the yard. After the kitchen and bathroom repairs, we donned the backpacks and headed to the Madison Market. You can buy several kinds of oils in bulk and this is what we needed.
Yesterday we went to Luther Burbank Park with Sally. A pretty place, on Mercer Island and right along Lake Washington. Nice trails, a dog park, plenty of picnic spots. The weather was down right warm. The rest of the day I worked int he yard and then we cooked all sorts of yummy things and stuffed our freezer with lunches and dinners for the future.
Back to work today. Yuck. What a dull existence for these 8 hrs of the day.
Saturday there was grocery shopping, hardware hunting, backpack exploring and yardwork. At the grocery store we saved big time. The store ran their popular $10 coupon plus we had the $5 off coupon from the Entertainment book plus all the store deals plus a discount of $.03 for each bag we brought from home in which to pack the groceries. We always bring at least three canvas totes in which we pack our groceries. Please consider doing the same. Yesterday we used not one grocery store bag to pack up.
Our trip to Greenwood True Value hardware store was a success. Greenwood is not our neighborhood but we really like their hardware store. We want to shop locally and we try to avoid Lowe's if at all possible. The owner of the Greenwood store, Marty, is always helpful and takes the time to explain things. We purchased some new hardware for the kitchen sink and a new timer switch for the fan in the bathroom. He even let us borrow a special wrench for working on the parts under the sink. Julie then replaced the kitchen faucet and bathroom timer. That bathrrom remodelling class is really paying off. Plus, she got me a present - every girl's dream - a wheelbarrow! So I set to work in the yard. After the kitchen and bathroom repairs, we donned the backpacks and headed to the Madison Market. You can buy several kinds of oils in bulk and this is what we needed.
Yesterday we went to Luther Burbank Park with Sally. A pretty place, on Mercer Island and right along Lake Washington. Nice trails, a dog park, plenty of picnic spots. The weather was down right warm. The rest of the day I worked int he yard and then we cooked all sorts of yummy things and stuffed our freezer with lunches and dinners for the future.
Back to work today. Yuck. What a dull existence for these 8 hrs of the day.
March 04, 2005
MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES
Who remembers this toy from back in the day? I had Hugo and loved it. This link (click on MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES) will take you to a virtual Hugo. I've no intention of playing with Hugo virtually, but this is a good shot of the doll and the disguises.
March 03, 2005
TRYING TO JOIN CYBERSPACE
Well, I received an email from Geocities, alerting me that my "website" has been neglected. If I don't update it soon, it will be deleted. So I went in and couldn't find my original stuff. I assumed that I'd have to start again so I created a new front page. It's ugly. I miss the original one with graphics and fun stuff. That page seems to be history and it ticks me off. But I found all the other files that I had created so I can still link to those pages. It's all a work in progress. When there is any kind of website to speak of, I will post the news.
A small victory was won when I learned how to change the color of the newly added links under "pay a visit." Yesterday's victory was learning how to add a link entitled something other than the web address. Chernabog received two crazy emails from me - sorry about that. I get wound up over this stuff.
Next hurdle, create more pages in Geocities and link the "website" to the "blog"!!!??? I have web pages saved in PageBuilder through Geocities. I want to access them and edit them but when I go to open a file I receive this error message: "The PageWizard will be converted to Yahoo!PageBuilder format. Once saved, you will not be able to reopen it with PageWizard." How concerned should I be? If these files are converted to Yahoo!PageBuilder, how will I access and edit in the future? Especially since PageWizard is the Geocities tool I need to build the pages? Oy, it's enough to make me plotz already. Not to mention that after I visit the website a couple of times, I'm denied access. It seems only a couple of viewings are permitted per day since I don't have enough bandwidth? Or something. Wonder if it's worth upgrading and actually spending money??? Share your thoughts if you have them. Or if you know of a more powerful, easy-to-use, and free way to create a site, PLEASE let me know.
A small victory was won when I learned how to change the color of the newly added links under "pay a visit." Yesterday's victory was learning how to add a link entitled something other than the web address. Chernabog received two crazy emails from me - sorry about that. I get wound up over this stuff.
Next hurdle, create more pages in Geocities and link the "website" to the "blog"!!!??? I have web pages saved in PageBuilder through Geocities. I want to access them and edit them but when I go to open a file I receive this error message: "The PageWizard will be converted to Yahoo!PageBuilder format. Once saved, you will not be able to reopen it with PageWizard." How concerned should I be? If these files are converted to Yahoo!PageBuilder, how will I access and edit in the future? Especially since PageWizard is the Geocities tool I need to build the pages? Oy, it's enough to make me plotz already. Not to mention that after I visit the website a couple of times, I'm denied access. It seems only a couple of viewings are permitted per day since I don't have enough bandwidth? Or something. Wonder if it's worth upgrading and actually spending money??? Share your thoughts if you have them. Or if you know of a more powerful, easy-to-use, and free way to create a site, PLEASE let me know.
March 01, 2005
The rain was short-lived. Today we have blue sky, bright sun and it’s 57 degrees.
Look for the first edition of the Northwest News in an e-mail box near you soon. This is the first edition created with a computer. It’s the beginning of a new era. Hope you can all open PDF files.
Speaking of cell phones, J has gently shoved me into the 21st century by bringing home one for me over the weekend. Now if I just remember to carry it with me and/or turn it on it might actually prove useful. But I make no promises. I reserve the right to retain any and all Luddite membership perks (Sally, thank you for reminding me of this wonderful word!). I’ll pass out the number by request only and only if I approve your request. Fill out your request in duplicate and send to me along with 2 identical photos (2 inches x 2 3/4 inches), and a jar of Adam’s All Natural Peanut Butter.
Just because I have a cell phone doesn’t mean I have changed my position on using the cell phone on the bus. I still firmly believe that the practice should be outlawed. Actually, the practice of talking at all on the bus should be a crime. Talking and listening to music. Both have got to go. The music is usually audible and usually stinks. The converstaions are torturous at best. And they go on and on. Let’s start with yesterday. The bus driver was overheard opining on the history of Mars, "Oh I thouroughly believe that Mars was scoured clean about thirty thousand years ago. I really do." Mind you, his mouth was right by the microphone so we all heard this and everything else he said about the Universe. Nevermind what he might have meant by this comment - just keep your comments to yourself. Dude, I have my theories too - but shut it.
OK, time to head to Kinko's and then catch a bus (hopefully a silent bus) that will take me part of the way home. Then a nice walk.
Look for the first edition of the Northwest News in an e-mail box near you soon. This is the first edition created with a computer. It’s the beginning of a new era. Hope you can all open PDF files.
Speaking of cell phones, J has gently shoved me into the 21st century by bringing home one for me over the weekend. Now if I just remember to carry it with me and/or turn it on it might actually prove useful. But I make no promises. I reserve the right to retain any and all Luddite membership perks (Sally, thank you for reminding me of this wonderful word!). I’ll pass out the number by request only and only if I approve your request. Fill out your request in duplicate and send to me along with 2 identical photos (2 inches x 2 3/4 inches), and a jar of Adam’s All Natural Peanut Butter.
Just because I have a cell phone doesn’t mean I have changed my position on using the cell phone on the bus. I still firmly believe that the practice should be outlawed. Actually, the practice of talking at all on the bus should be a crime. Talking and listening to music. Both have got to go. The music is usually audible and usually stinks. The converstaions are torturous at best. And they go on and on. Let’s start with yesterday. The bus driver was overheard opining on the history of Mars, "Oh I thouroughly believe that Mars was scoured clean about thirty thousand years ago. I really do." Mind you, his mouth was right by the microphone so we all heard this and everything else he said about the Universe. Nevermind what he might have meant by this comment - just keep your comments to yourself. Dude, I have my theories too - but shut it.
OK, time to head to Kinko's and then catch a bus (hopefully a silent bus) that will take me part of the way home. Then a nice walk.
February 28, 2005
THE LAST STRAW
Speaking of the garden, I’ve included the latest pics. The straw bale garden is now constructed, painted and filled with straw. First we dug out the grass. Neighbor G took all the slabs of grass to fill in spots in his yard that his dog destroyed. Next, J measured and cut the wood. It’s shaped like a kite. Not quite on purpose but more because that is the shape that fits best. I painted the boards a lovely, psychedelic purple and then J joined them with hinges and screws (wood, screws and hinges provided by a generous grant from Underthehouse).
Next we placed the bales inside, cut side up. We added the bale we purchased last fall. You will notice in the photos that the old straw is already soaked and dark from sitting around for months. It had broken down nicely and plenty of worms were visibly working away underneath and inside. This is exactly what we want. After filling the structure with the straw, we lined it all with plastic. We don’t expect this thin plywood to last very long but this plastic lining might give us an extra growing season.
Keep in mind that any part of the garden at this point in time is a work in progress. None of it will look as pretty as it will once there are plants shooting up from the soil.
In other garden news, we repainted some of the garden beds to brighten them. Did lots of weeding and raking. Planted spinach, arugula, white onions, peas, thyme, marjoram and yuen sai, a Chinese parsley similar to cilantro.
With the weather so nice we spent most of the weekend outside. Aside from yard work we walked to our favorite co-op and Trader Joes’s and filled our backpacks with tasty items. The co-op, Madison Market, has a superb bulk section. We can bring our own containers and leave with plenty of great food and spices. We also just sat on the deck for a while. It’s nice to just sit there and relax after digging and hauling for two days. You feel sore but it’s the soreness of accomplishment. Much more satisfying than the soreness of sitting on one’s ass all day. Enjoy the photos. And don’t forget to check out the archives if you’re bored and want to catch up.
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