Sunday, March 27, 2005
my time for me
I'm finally home for good after two months away. (Until next week, when I'll be heading back up to Birch Bay to see my parents.) I'll probably be spending a lot more time up there, as the Bunkhouse will soon be liveable with a myriad of small/medium projects to go. My brother and I did get a lot accomplished in a week, even with me having tons of "work work" and instant-turnaround deadlines while up there. I'd wake up in the morning, check my email, do some work, walk up to the cabin, do some work up there, go back to my other work, on and on. There were several days that I spent all day at the cabin, then would work until midnight on my stuff for clients. I'm still exhauseted.
I don't think I've ever spent that much time alone with just my bro, it was an interesting experience. We are very different people but somehow got along very well. I was more 'concept' and he was more 'execution' but we worked well together and had some fun. The most fun I had was when we decided to paint the whole place one night after dinner. I just function better at night. Or maybe after a martini, as we'd had before eating. It was fun doing something even semi-creative as opposed to scrubbing, scraping, hauling, etc. And it turned out great. Meanwhile, my brother was ripping apart the bathroom and re-building an entire wall. He wins the Bob Vila award for this round.
I wasn't planning to do anything today but wound up having brunch with Diana and dinner with Paula & Mark. Paula busted out the PAAS egg dyeing stuff and that was fun to mess with while the champagne flowed. I taught them the ancient Bacon art of "egg butting." Paula was the champ, knocking me out in the second round. Sorry Mark, maybe next year.
If I didn't have a 9 am meeting tomorrow I would SO be at the Eagle right now. Instead I think I'm off to bed. I can already feel a nasty headache coming on from too many "Jelly Bird Eggs," the only Easter candy that matters.
Tomorrow I finally get back to work on my farmer's market report, starting with a 9am meeting with someone who will either make or break this project. Why I scheduled such an important meeting for 9am is beyond me. I was probably thinking, after a two-month postponement, "the sooneer the better."
I don't think I've ever spent that much time alone with just my bro, it was an interesting experience. We are very different people but somehow got along very well. I was more 'concept' and he was more 'execution' but we worked well together and had some fun. The most fun I had was when we decided to paint the whole place one night after dinner. I just function better at night. Or maybe after a martini, as we'd had before eating. It was fun doing something even semi-creative as opposed to scrubbing, scraping, hauling, etc. And it turned out great. Meanwhile, my brother was ripping apart the bathroom and re-building an entire wall. He wins the Bob Vila award for this round.
I wasn't planning to do anything today but wound up having brunch with Diana and dinner with Paula & Mark. Paula busted out the PAAS egg dyeing stuff and that was fun to mess with while the champagne flowed. I taught them the ancient Bacon art of "egg butting." Paula was the champ, knocking me out in the second round. Sorry Mark, maybe next year.
If I didn't have a 9 am meeting tomorrow I would SO be at the Eagle right now. Instead I think I'm off to bed. I can already feel a nasty headache coming on from too many "Jelly Bird Eggs," the only Easter candy that matters.
Tomorrow I finally get back to work on my farmer's market report, starting with a 9am meeting with someone who will either make or break this project. Why I scheduled such an important meeting for 9am is beyond me. I was probably thinking, after a two-month postponement, "the sooneer the better."
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
you're soaking in it
I'm back in Seattle, at least for the next three days. I'll be heading back up to Birch Bay on Saturday to join my brother in an attempt to get the new cabin in better shape. Naturally, now that I'm back home, the unsually warm weather has vanished. The same way the unusually wet weather followed me to California.
Oh what a massive mountain of mail was waiting for me here. Candace was kind enough to weed out all the flyers and circulars. But even I was surprised at how many magazines I've subscribed to. Damn those direct marketers!
One periodical I never tired of is the monthly Eagle Magazine, sent to members of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. And yes, that would include me. It was a Christmas present, years ago. For whatever reason, I keep renewing my membership. Wait, here's a good reason: when visiting an Aerie more than 50 miles away from your "home Aerie" (the one you're a member of) your second drink is FREE! Hooray for subsidized alcoholism with a salty salute to drunk driving.
Anyway, my favorite feature in Eagle Magazine actually appears in the pages for the Auxiliary (that's the ladies) members. Right next to the smiling face of P.G.M.P. Linda L. Heffner, Assistant to the Grand Madam President, Grand Auxiliary Office Coordinator (she writes the column "Auxiliaries Want To Know" answering all your protcol questions) is the monthly "Cook's Corner" column. It never ceases to amaze me. The majority of the recipes that appear are of the "no bake" variety, and commonly include frightening, mass-produced ingredients such as Velveeta, Miracle Whip and canned vegetables. I really need to clip and save them all.
Here's a start for your own files:
APPLE DUMPLING
2 Granny Smith apples
2 tubes crescent rolls
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspon cinnamon
12 oz. can Mountain Dew soda
Peel apples and cut into 1/8s. Wrap each section in a crescent roll. Place in baking dish. Mix butter (melted), sugar and cinnamon and pour over the dumplings. Then pour Mountain Dew over everything. Bake for 45 minutes at 350.
I definitely want to try pouring Mountain Dew over everything!
Oh what a massive mountain of mail was waiting for me here. Candace was kind enough to weed out all the flyers and circulars. But even I was surprised at how many magazines I've subscribed to. Damn those direct marketers!
One periodical I never tired of is the monthly Eagle Magazine, sent to members of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. And yes, that would include me. It was a Christmas present, years ago. For whatever reason, I keep renewing my membership. Wait, here's a good reason: when visiting an Aerie more than 50 miles away from your "home Aerie" (the one you're a member of) your second drink is FREE! Hooray for subsidized alcoholism with a salty salute to drunk driving.
Anyway, my favorite feature in Eagle Magazine actually appears in the pages for the Auxiliary (that's the ladies) members. Right next to the smiling face of P.G.M.P. Linda L. Heffner, Assistant to the Grand Madam President, Grand Auxiliary Office Coordinator (she writes the column "Auxiliaries Want To Know" answering all your protcol questions) is the monthly "Cook's Corner" column. It never ceases to amaze me. The majority of the recipes that appear are of the "no bake" variety, and commonly include frightening, mass-produced ingredients such as Velveeta, Miracle Whip and canned vegetables. I really need to clip and save them all.
Here's a start for your own files:
APPLE DUMPLING
2 Granny Smith apples
2 tubes crescent rolls
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspon cinnamon
12 oz. can Mountain Dew soda
Peel apples and cut into 1/8s. Wrap each section in a crescent roll. Place in baking dish. Mix butter (melted), sugar and cinnamon and pour over the dumplings. Then pour Mountain Dew over everything. Bake for 45 minutes at 350.
I definitely want to try pouring Mountain Dew over everything!
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Wanted in Whatcom County
Greetings from beautiful Birch Bay, WA. I arrived back in Seattle on Friday to find that my kitchen was still under construction, contrary to previous reports. So I spent the night at Diana's, then came up to the beach this evening. Hopefully it will all be done by Monday. It had fucking better be!
Anyway, I'm up here all by my lonesome, which is actually great after a solid month of being a houseguest. One of my favorite pastimes up here is to read every and any local newspaper or magazine. Often interesting, usually informative, and almost always including something hysterical. The Northern Light, a local weekly focused on Blaine and Birch Bay, usually comes through in the laughs department thanks to the Letters to the Editor and Police Reports sections. But this week's winner comes from the Whatcom Independent classifieds:
WANTED: SOMEBODY TO GO BACK IN TIME WITH ME
This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before. 201-5045
That's the 360 area code for potential/willing time travelers.
Anyway, I'm up here all by my lonesome, which is actually great after a solid month of being a houseguest. One of my favorite pastimes up here is to read every and any local newspaper or magazine. Often interesting, usually informative, and almost always including something hysterical. The Northern Light, a local weekly focused on Blaine and Birch Bay, usually comes through in the laughs department thanks to the Letters to the Editor and Police Reports sections. But this week's winner comes from the Whatcom Independent classifieds:
WANTED: SOMEBODY TO GO BACK IN TIME WITH ME
This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before. 201-5045
That's the 360 area code for potential/willing time travelers.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Random in Redding
On the road again. Stopped last night in Redding and wound up randomly selecting a hotel. Having an on-site restaurant was one of the selling points. And wow did they sell that point. The following is the restaurant’s manifesto that appears in the Guest Directory and on the menu cover:
C.R. GIBBBS AMERICAN GRILLE
“Where Rumors End and Legends Begin”
The American Grille is a place to enjoy great food or a casual drink in a fun, fast-moving atmosphere. Our staff will not only give you great service but they will show you the meaning of
“EATERTAINMENT!”
With an open exhibition kitchen, you can watch our Chef and his staff prepare your favorite wood fired pizza or rotisserie cooked chicken. [KB: Don’t chickens take hours to cook on a rotisserie? Would it even be that exciting to watch in less time?] You might even catch a glimpse of the magic flame, as one of our culinary artists deglazes a pan with his favorite liqueur, on his way to creating the evening special.
From a pint of “Guiness” to an icy cold “Budweiser” or a “Downtown Brown” our bar offers over 15 selections of beer and micro brews on tap. Our carefully selected wine list offers you a variety of California and Imported wines to satisfy the most sophisticated palette. [Yes, sic. They’re referring to the wooden shipping/bonfire material here.]
So come in, sit back, relax and enjoy the one place in Redding…
“Where Rumors End and Legends Begin”
I don’t have too much time to get into all of my own observations, but there was plenty more to keep me entertained, from the trying-way-too-hard food (I’ve never seen crushed pistachios dumped into an oil & balsamic bread dip… on purpose) to the singing kitchen staff.
I did ask the hostess, Amber, about the slogan “Where Rumors End and Legends Begin.” “What kind of rumors are you referring to,” I asked. “Did something awful happen here?” Amber laughed and tried to elaborate. “It’s like, when you asked me earlier what I liked on the menu, and I told you that I take the fish and chips home every night. So, now there’s a rumor you’ve heard that the fish and chips are really good. And you or someone else might hear that and try them, and then find out that the rumor is true.”
Let the Legend begin.
C.R. GIBBBS AMERICAN GRILLE
“Where Rumors End and Legends Begin”
The American Grille is a place to enjoy great food or a casual drink in a fun, fast-moving atmosphere. Our staff will not only give you great service but they will show you the meaning of
“EATERTAINMENT!”
With an open exhibition kitchen, you can watch our Chef and his staff prepare your favorite wood fired pizza or rotisserie cooked chicken. [KB: Don’t chickens take hours to cook on a rotisserie? Would it even be that exciting to watch in less time?] You might even catch a glimpse of the magic flame, as one of our culinary artists deglazes a pan with his favorite liqueur, on his way to creating the evening special.
From a pint of “Guiness” to an icy cold “Budweiser” or a “Downtown Brown” our bar offers over 15 selections of beer and micro brews on tap. Our carefully selected wine list offers you a variety of California and Imported wines to satisfy the most sophisticated palette. [Yes, sic. They’re referring to the wooden shipping/bonfire material here.]
So come in, sit back, relax and enjoy the one place in Redding…
“Where Rumors End and Legends Begin”
I don’t have too much time to get into all of my own observations, but there was plenty more to keep me entertained, from the trying-way-too-hard food (I’ve never seen crushed pistachios dumped into an oil & balsamic bread dip… on purpose) to the singing kitchen staff.
I did ask the hostess, Amber, about the slogan “Where Rumors End and Legends Begin.” “What kind of rumors are you referring to,” I asked. “Did something awful happen here?” Amber laughed and tried to elaborate. “It’s like, when you asked me earlier what I liked on the menu, and I told you that I take the fish and chips home every night. So, now there’s a rumor you’ve heard that the fish and chips are really good. And you or someone else might hear that and try them, and then find out that the rumor is true.”
Let the Legend begin.
Friday, March 04, 2005
what wednesday night looks like in L.A.
It was Wednesday night, it was El Coyote, it was Marty's birthday, it was a reunion of sorts, it was two groups of friends taking over the 'anything goes' back room, it was smoking in the girls room, it was throwing candy at strangers, it was way too many margaritas, it was making out on the sidewalk, it was when worlds collide and both turn out to be pinatas.
evidence
evidence
