Saturday, May 29, 2010
Note to future self: The Umstead Bar/Lounge is THE place to go on day of arrival for walk-in drinks and dinner with no reservations. Also, I love all the cheeses in the Artisan Cheese Plate. We tried to determine what the house made jams were. Verdict: Black Cherry, Apple Caramel (I thought it was apricot at first), and Celery-Lemongrass (that one is a very weird green color). One of my cheeses was the perfect combo of horribleness (from Dean's point of view): rind on the outside, an oozy saltwater-flavored layer, and then a tart goaty center. Yum!!! Perfect combo of perfectness!
Posted at 8:57:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Relaxing at The Umstead! Great flight down, except that when we landed at RDU and I was walking back and forth to our rental car, carrying the luggage over from Tango, I wasn't looking where I was going and walked right into Tango's tail and smashed my finger! Tango's fine, but my finger started bleeding everywhere and still hurts! Didn't mess up my nail, though. ;-) Thanks to the TAC Air lineman for the band-aid! Now I know, the spot on my ring finger right above the nail is exactly at tail height.
Posted at 8:03:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Some photos: Here were are taxiing off the runway upon arrival at RDU. They have a tall tower! Also, I snapped this picture of JFK airport as we flew over, on the way. I don't usually get that good of a view! And here's Tango at Salisbury, lookin' pretty. Anti-linear order, there.
In Salisbury, MD, very satisfied after eating a Snickers at our fuel stop on the way down to NC! (Dean made me mention the part about the Snickers.)
Posted at 3:47:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
[Edit: Did you know that it's a requirement for all GA airport FBOs to have Snickers in their snack machines? I mean, I don't know if it's a law or anything, but no matter what variety of snacks they offer and no matter what size the machine, it always includes a Snickers options. I guess I made up the part about it being a requirement. But it should be a requirement and, for all practical purposes, it is. This is because when you are slightly jet lagged or prop lagged (low energy, slight headache, lack of concentration), eating a Snickers bar will totally cure you. The only time I ever eat Snickers is on Tango trips, but it always works!
I am kind of fascinated by airport snack machines. I always like to look at what they sell, even when I don't actually want anything. Some of the stuff is pretty bizarre, and you get some rather interesting regional items from state to state. But, no matter what, you always get a Snickers bar.]
!!! I just tried this new "Mature Skin" vegan soap that Julie, an ALB fan, gave me. It's amaaaaazing! It doesn't even feel like soap, it's so moisturizing; it's like rubbing a bar of deliciously rich lotion across your skin! It's made of olive oil, castor bean oil, cocoa butter, palm wax, soybean oil, shea butter and almond oil. I love the smell, too... it's extremely subtle but just... good. It smells like what it's made of. :-) Julie has her own soap and candle company and makes all kinds of yummy products (not just soap). She was super-nice and sent me a bunch of different things to try (I gave her some Goodies Guy soaps to check out), and they are all so professional looking! So far I only used this one soap (because I already had a bunch of active soaps) and the "Silky Smooth Lip Balm" (coco loco flav), which I also love. 100% natural ingredients just like the soap, great subtle smell, feels really nice on your lips, and comes in a cool flattened oval stick instead of the usual round kind. ♥ I will have to buy some more of this soap when I run out, because I really like it! It would be perfect for winter. She also gave me black pepper soap (!), which sounds really cool, but I haven't opened that one yet!
Posted at 10:30:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Friday May 28, 2010
We're going to North Carolina for Memorial Day weekend! Total last-minute, spontaneous plannage. Been pack pack packing all night after deciding (and chatting with Diane on FB to plan some Q.S.T.!). Probably won't have time to post my New York pics for a while, aak! Oh well!
Posted at 11:38:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Dean says my striper doesn't look mean, it just looks anxious, like it doesn't really want to eat the shad but it has to and is all apologetic. What the heck, I tried so hard to make it look voracious and threatening! I'm hopeless.
Posted at 7:00:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I made a necklace out of the starfish from the bottom of the pool, and I love it!
I found a starfish on the bottom of the pool! I left it there until my 35th x across so I'd have something fun to look at, then I swam down and rescued it before my final time back across underwater. I also used my nifty new u/w watch to time which is my fastest swim stroke. The breast stroke/frog kick combo and invented butterfly were both 30 seconds across, and the crawl/flutter kick combo was 25. The super-fast flutter kick/no arms combo underwater across the bottom of the lane was 22. Gasp!
Posted at 2:52:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Posted at 2:15:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I didn't draw my Fish of the Week yet, but I did make this. Here's the big version. I tried to make it look MEAN and THREATENING. Hard, since my fish usually have good personalities. I ate a striper when I went to O'Rourke's with Dean! BTW, striped bass don't really have sharp little sticky-out teeth like that. Artistic licence!
"These voracious predators, which can grow up to five feet in length, and weigh more than 70 pounds, have decimated stocks of alewife and blueback herring, scientists now believe."
Thursday, May 27, 2010
I'll post my photos from New York tomorrow--I have them all ready and all commented up with nice fresh anti-linear brain comments written last night, but I'm too eXhausted to post them today. I upped all my weights at NEAC today and I feel like a rolly-smusher ran me over. You know, one of those road things. New York yesterday, on the other hand, was totally UN-exhausting, and I even drove almost the whole way there (Wilbur Cross Parkway, man!). It was a GREAT trip. Nothing much to post about today, except that I ATE my milt feast and it was YUM. And I asked the Hale's lady if she'd tried milt yet but she just shuddered, and added that she didn't even like roe. She seems to like me, though, despite my deviant milt-eating ways. She called me by name (granted, I wrote my name down when I visited on Monday, so they could telephone me about the milt) and was all happy when I walked up. But maybe that was because she had two fresh pair of milt she wanted to get rid of, and I didn't come in until nearly four, so she was wondering where the heck I was. Who knows. She also told me that the "boat broke"! It was over the weekend, and Hale's was closed for two days. Then they had to borrow a boat.
Posted at 9:08:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Poor Hale! First the out-of-control striped bass population is eating too many shad, and now this! Eat more stripers, to even it out!! Stripers need to be eaten! I should draw an "Eat Stripers!" poster. I failed to mention on Monday (because I was too lazy) that they had a handout that you could take copies of--a four-page letter to the DEP Commissioner, written by Dan Russell himself, all about the environmental problem re: stripers vs. shad. (That article in the Advocate talked about it, too.) The good news (good for shad, not good for Hale's or for me) is that shad fishing will be closed by January 1, 2013 unless sustainability can be demonstrated. That means that unless the striper vs. shad population gets in sync, there will be no more annual eating of our anadromous state fish to welcome spring! But at least the shad have someone monitoring them and looking out for them, so they will be protected if it goes that far. The life of a shad is hard!
Posted at 6:08:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Shad milt feast tonight! (Isn't it pretty??? I washed off most of the blood...)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Hail!!!! It looks like moth balls!
Posted at 10:46:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Thunder!
Posted at 10:36:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I love my new camera! I took tons of indoor non-flash photos today in "low light" mode, and they all came out great! They would have been way too dark and/or orange with my old camera. Low light mode is the greatest!
Hale's called, and they snagged one pair of milt! They left a message with Dean and I called them back just now and talked to the young guy. I can't go in to pick it up today, because we're going to New York! (!) (And I'm driving until we get to the city, so Dean can work on his iPad in the car.) So, Gallery Hanahou today, and milt tomorrow (and he's going to try to get me another pair). The display on my caller ID says "HALES SHAD." :-) It's hot today (forecasted to be 94°, ak), but I am excited. Fiber art sea creatures!!! I finished reading all the old entries of Helle Jorgensen's blog in preparation. BTW, I am behind on the Fish of the Week! Good thing I did two one week, knowing this would happen. This week's fish is a good one, too. Maybe tonight...
Posted at 11:06:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I did it! I managed to sew on the second half of the suede binding! Totally had to hand-crank and strong arm the thing through with my left hand, until I tried adjusting the little dial on the side of the machine (moved it from the normal "3" to "0") and then zooooom!!! Rrrrrroar!!!! Yikes! Good thing, because I seriously was running out of strength.
Posted at 9:05:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Here's what it looks like so far: outside and inside. I unzipped the inside zippery pocket so you can see the contrasting lining peeking out. The pockets are lined with a small piece of fabric I got at Close To Home in Glastonbury (a fat quarter, I guess?). The top one is Palma-sized and has a zipper, and the bottom one is just open on the top (edged with the lining, for contrast), so it's not very secure; it's just for organization, and to make the inside of the bag a little more interesting. It actually has two layers, so there's an inner and an outer pocket. The main fabric on the inside of the back piece is my last little bit of Alexander Henry "hoshi (star)" left over from the lining of the Rooster Bag I made for Susie in 2005. As you might recall, I used the rest of it to make a new ironing board cover.
The insides of the side panels are made from a pink wool sweater I got at Uptown and felted last January (I used a tiny bit of it when I made my Anti-Autumn Gloom bag in October.) I think I'm going to use more of it to line the inside of the front, but I haven't really planned the front or bottom at all yet. The suede is really soft and floppy on its own, so that gives it some body. Oh, and the underside of the strap (I have it twisted/flipped over in the picture, so you can see) is lined with a quilted strip of My Favorite Fabric Ever, which I only have a tiny tiny bit of. Pink and orange batik stars! The top zipper is cream colored, with metal teeth.
My bed is still calling me. Urg. Yesterday I ate the spotted half (there were six spots) of my shad for dinner, and I had the rest for breakfast just now. I only cooked it (in the microwave) for two minutes (!) this time, which was far superior. It was a little overdone last night. But two minutes! No wonder. Shad shad shad. So savory. It's always better when my mom makes it though!
Posted at 12:26:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Last night I completed the sides for my bag and sewed the strip with the sides and top (zipper section) to the quilted back piece. It was scary scary, with lots and lots of layers including three (five in a few spots) layers of suede, but it worked! I am still astonished there were no disasters, misalignments, broken needles, broken thread, broken sewing machine... I used the heavy thread and leather needle, which was crucial. Next step is covering the exposed edge, which is just as scary, because that's even more layers! I am covering it with a strip of the suede as binding. I did half last night but had to go to bed before I finished. My poor sewing machine was groaning the whole way and I had to push/coax it along for nearly every stitch and it was hot and exhausting! I will be very relieved when this part is done! None of the other sections will be as thick, except the part where the bottom connects to the back. I haven't planned the bottom yet. I was amazed at how good it looked when I turned the back/sides right side out, though. The edge where everything lines up (the part I'm covering with the binding) gives it a natural structure and shape, and it looks like a real backpack! I still have no idea if it will be ergonomic, though, or exactly how the rest of the bag is going to look or fit together.
No milt today!
Posted at 11:43:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Wow, that is one tough sewing machine. I thought things would break multiple times, but no.
Posted at 12:53:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Monday, May 24, 2010
What happened to Clusty???
Posted at 11:25:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
[Edit, 11:27: Eeeeeeek. My beloved Clusty!]
Posted at 3:15:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Got a fillet at Hale's! The minute I walked in, the older lady recognized me as the "milt lady." :-) They had frozen milt (I wasn't expecting that!) but I want fresh milt, so I put in a request for two pair and hopefully they'll catch some nice milty buck shad tonight or later this week.
I have to call on the phone tomorrow to check, so this sign can serve as my reminder! I also took a gorgeous photo of the ultimate Sign of Spring. The sky was perfect today!
MY CAKE is very tasty this morning. The sourness is less extreme now that it's had a chance to settle down and the flavors have melded. I think I put in too much egg, though. It's difficult when you halve the recipe, because that means half an egg, and how do you get half an egg? Plus I used those jumbo Farmer Butchie eggs. I took some out in an attempt to half it, but, in retrospect, that probably made it more like a large egg than half a large egg. It's still really good, but the texture is denser/less fluffy than normal. The bottom reminds me a little of one of those clafoutis I kept making last summer!
Posted at 12:22:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I must must must must visit Hale's and see about procuring milt, ASAP. I'm a little worried that I've already missed the window of opportunity. I sure hope not! Will go this afternoon, in person, to inquire.
Listening to early favorite Bob songs that I haven't heard in a long time is so... I don't know how to describe it... it's really powerful. They just sound so different than anything else, especially in the silence and darkness of the early AM.
Posted at 2:50:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
I have 26 different versions of "One Too Many Mornings" on my computer.
When I was in high school, I had the first seven albums (up to Blonde On Blonde) plus Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. I'm not sure, but I probably bought them in order. Everything else came later.
It's Bob's birthday! He's 69. In honor of the occasion, I am going to put together a playlist/CD of my all-time favorite Dylan songs. I just started. It's a tall order, but I will give it a shot (and try not to obsess too much over the selections). I think I've been a Bob fan for 24 years.
Posted at 1:11:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wow, it's really sour! That Berruti rhubarb must've been extra-strong!
Posted at 10:55:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Posted at 10:07:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
MY CAKE is in the oven! Since there's only the two of us, I made a half-sized version, so I had plenty of rhubarb, with some left over for future sauce. I used the Berruti's rhubarb, a Farmer Butchie egg, organic buttermilk and organic cane sugar from Whole Foods. I also used olive oil, although you're not really supposed to use olive oil in recipes (because the flavor isn't neutral, like canola oil). But I always do it anyway in this recipe and, if you can taste it at all, it tastes good. I put in extra rhubarb. Heh heh.
We stopped at Berruti's Harvest House in South Glastonbury on the way to Dara's (because they had a "Native Asparagus" sign up!) and got spargle, broc, squash, Farmer Butch's jumbo eggs (from Durham, CT), AND rhubarb! Only the asparagus, eggs, and rhubarb were actually from Connecticut, I think--it's too early for the other stuff. The rhubarb was free because it was their own and was the first of the season and the guy said he just picked it because it was broken off (it was really long, though!). Not sure why that made it free. He said he was surprised that it was there all day but no one took it, and I said maybe they didn't know what it was, because there was no sign. He said "Lucky for you!" and that I'd have to tell him how it was. Maybe other people thought it was celery, because it's very green (that isn't supposed to affect the taste, though). In any case, I'm going to use it to make a half-sized version of MY CAKE!
Posted at 5:44:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
