I was out for a meal twice in two days. Monday evening the family visited the new-to-us Asian restaurant in our little town, and Tuesday I took Mom to her monthly Church Luncheon.
Monday we had a great meal at our local organic Chinese food restaurant with a sushi bar, and we had a great time too!
We've had take-out a couple of times and finally made an appearance for an early (6PM) table. Good first impression time...as we strode towards our booth, we passed a small table in the dining area that was piled high with fresh green beans and pea pods...the wait staff would work on the prep between orbits around the dining room.
As a matter of fact, along one side of the restaurant several small tables were piled high with cartons of produce. The rest of the tables were nearly full of customers. Rambunctious for an early Monday night, I was already having a good time.
We ordered a sushi plate and a seafood salad for openers, water all around, Sister K ordered a glass of chardonnay, and I ordered a Sapporo. "Large or small?" asked our waiter, "Small" I replied.
Our waiter was back with our ice water...it came in pint sleeves, like ale in a brewpub, our wine, soda and Sapporo followed a minute later. We asked for more time to pore over the menu.
A different server brought a seaweed salad, confusion erupted...then the sushi plate arrived. The salad was the traditional seaweed with a toasted sesame oil dressing, sprinkled with sesame seeds and dried chili flakes...delicious. The sushi was divine, nigiri style maguro, hamachi, sake (salmon), hirami (halibut) , and tai (red snapper). Our waiter returned and Sister K asked about the seafood salad...the noise level was medium-high, so the mistake was easily made.
About now, I tipped the last of my Sapporo into my mouth...just as the owner flew by and placed another 12oz Sapporo in front of me and said "On the house" Great cheer all around the table...a minute later he was back, this time with an appetizer/desert plate..."on the house"...a half dozen tempura shrimp and four pieces of baklava. Not two minutes later, the second server was back with the seafood salad. More tempura shrimp on a bed of spring mix with a delicate honey mustard vinaigrette.
Our entrees arrived...mushu pork and cashew chicken. Everything was delicious...I don't give marks off for flour tortillas instead of true mushu pancakes...hey, it's California...press two for Engrish...the owner was back...this time with a 22oz Tsingtao...more laughter all around...I poured half a glass, and foisted the rest off on my brother-in-law...I was driving after all!
We were slowing down and filling up now...but the owner was still doing his best dervish impression...before we asked for the check, he was back with two grocery bags of fresh, organic produce (you take this home, on the house), and another plate of baby salad greens with more of the honey mustard dressing, "on the house", and an "Easter basket" presentation of fortune cookies!
As we trundled out, the owner handed my brother-in-law and I yet another 12oz Tsingtao each! Even though we left a tip "to-remember-us-by", I felt like a cat burglar making off with a pillowcase full of the family jewels!
Dinners for the rest of the week will feature mango chicken with sesame rice...and Caesar salads!
The contrast between Monday evening's to-do at the organic Asian joynt, and the brunch at Mom's church wasn't the eye-opener you'd expect. This month's theme was Flag Day (which comes up Thursday 6/14). We arrived later than usual, and there was almost nobody there.
The regulars all straggled in a bit later than usual, but we had a full house. Tossed green salad, wedges of seedless watermelon, a nice potato salad (Mom said it was like Indiana potato salad), and grilled chicken breast, with a strawberry shortcake style desert.
Though not exactly rambunctious by Monday night's standards, everyone had a good time, the laughter level was medium-high, and I'm sure everyone else went home and went down for a nap too.
After my good nap, I watched a great Giants game! Two home runs by youngsters helped propel the Giants to a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros. 22 year old LHP Madison Bumgarner launched one way up into the left field bleachers to tie the game 1-1 in the 3rd. It was his first major league knock.
He had quite the start as well, 7.2 IP, 6H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB,12K.
All in all a very enjoyable, satisfying game.
Showing posts with label Sister K. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sister K. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
On And Off
I'm ready to nod off again...no wonder, I've been busy...and all without a nap...
I loaded the car this morning...maybe a dozen times up and down the stairs, locked up the DaveCave and headed out by 10AM.
As I was swinging through Soda Springs, I passed Jeweler's house and saw his car out front with the door open, and the front door of his place open as well...I hung a U-ey and pulled into the driveway next to the open car door...
We spent a half hour catching up before I pointed the car downhill and hit the SuperSlab.
I put it in long distance drive, and turned up the radio...road construction was much less onerous than on Monday's trip to the County Seat, and I kept it pointed west until I reached Vacaville and pulled off I-80 to hit my favorite Asian Grocery, where I picked up some baby bok choi, shitake mushrooms and some Chinese pea pods.
I arrived at the Ancestral Digs an hour before the Giants game's first pitch...the Giants were playing the Miami Marlins in the Marlin's brand new half a billion dollar stadium, resplendent with expansive views of downtown Miami thru the outfield windows, and the marine aquariums flanking home plate filled with neon colored reef fish.
The game went 1-1 into the 6th, when the Giants exploded for four runs! The Marlins answered with four in the 7th, and then the game really went off the hook! Final score Giants 14, Marlins 7! It was a wild one!
Mercifully, Mom said she'd take us out to Chinese, but I whined about spending enough time in the car today and Sister K went down to the closest Chinese joint and came back with four delicious entrees instead.
It turns out that the local joint is excellent! They gave Sister K a complimentary beer while she waited, and sent her home with dinner, plus a bonus grocery bag of fresh, local organic produce! We'll be heading down to dine at the joint soon...not only are they the nearest Chinese Restaurant, but they're all organic, don't use any MSG, and they have a Sushi Bar too!
Sometime during the afternoon, the Pacific Battleship Center announced that the USS Iowa will set sail on Saturday morning from Richmond to Los Angeles.
Oh perfect, SturgeUrge and I will be out there on the Fishing Vessel SturgeUrge Saturday halibut fishing and giving "The Big Stick" an escort of sorts as she plies the Bay out under the Golden Gate Bridge that's celebrating it's 75th Birthday Saturday...perfect indeed...let's hope the halibut are biting!
I loaded the car this morning...maybe a dozen times up and down the stairs, locked up the DaveCave and headed out by 10AM.
As I was swinging through Soda Springs, I passed Jeweler's house and saw his car out front with the door open, and the front door of his place open as well...I hung a U-ey and pulled into the driveway next to the open car door...
We spent a half hour catching up before I pointed the car downhill and hit the SuperSlab.
I put it in long distance drive, and turned up the radio...road construction was much less onerous than on Monday's trip to the County Seat, and I kept it pointed west until I reached Vacaville and pulled off I-80 to hit my favorite Asian Grocery, where I picked up some baby bok choi, shitake mushrooms and some Chinese pea pods.
I arrived at the Ancestral Digs an hour before the Giants game's first pitch...the Giants were playing the Miami Marlins in the Marlin's brand new half a billion dollar stadium, resplendent with expansive views of downtown Miami thru the outfield windows, and the marine aquariums flanking home plate filled with neon colored reef fish.
The game went 1-1 into the 6th, when the Giants exploded for four runs! The Marlins answered with four in the 7th, and then the game really went off the hook! Final score Giants 14, Marlins 7! It was a wild one!
Mercifully, Mom said she'd take us out to Chinese, but I whined about spending enough time in the car today and Sister K went down to the closest Chinese joint and came back with four delicious entrees instead.
It turns out that the local joint is excellent! They gave Sister K a complimentary beer while she waited, and sent her home with dinner, plus a bonus grocery bag of fresh, local organic produce! We'll be heading down to dine at the joint soon...not only are they the nearest Chinese Restaurant, but they're all organic, don't use any MSG, and they have a Sushi Bar too!
Sometime during the afternoon, the Pacific Battleship Center announced that the USS Iowa will set sail on Saturday morning from Richmond to Los Angeles.
Oh perfect, SturgeUrge and I will be out there on the Fishing Vessel SturgeUrge Saturday halibut fishing and giving "The Big Stick" an escort of sorts as she plies the Bay out under the Golden Gate Bridge that's celebrating it's 75th Birthday Saturday...perfect indeed...let's hope the halibut are biting!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Juicy
I just love leftovers from Thanksgiving! Today I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat for breakfast. I almost drooled the Homer Simpson donut noise...it was that good!
I snacked on some dark meat around four in the afternoon, and enjoyed a reheated turkey dinner with a new batch of braised brussels sprouts for dinner. (Thanks Sister K!) Even after sitting in a Ziploc bag for 24 hours in the garage refrigerator, the breast meat was so juicy...not to mention yummy!
Perfect Turkey Hints:
Here's the trick I use to insure a succulent turkey breast every time I roast a bird...it's all about orientation...I owe it all to Fine Cooking Magazine. I lifted the tip from one of their email newsletters in 2008. Save the link for Juicy Roast Turkey, bookmark it, you'll never roast a whole turkey any other way ever again!
Here's the secret: Roast the turkey upside down for the first hour in the oven! That's all there is to it! I know it sounds a little daunting turning a hot slippery turkey over after it's been roasting for an hour in a 325°F oven, but it's a snap...oven mitts on each hand with a wad of paper towels, and it's over and done in under 20 seconds!
I learned a new trick when turning yesterday's bird. I don't stuff the bird, I make my Cornbread and Italian Sausage Stuffing on the stovetop and finish it in the oven, so I just grabbed the bird by the body cavity and with a lift and a twist of the wrist, it was breast side up for the duration!
Here's another tip to insure a great roast turkey...buy a decent bird to begin with! I swear by Sonora's Diestel Turkey Ranch. I've never bought another turkey since the first Diestel I tried. I get mine at Lunardi's Market in Walnut Creek. Safeway has 'em too. I buy a fresh one, not frozen. They taste like turkey!
Stuffing Recipe Hints:
I prefer to use mild sausage, but I fatten up the pinch of crushed red chilies.
I prefer red and yellow bell peppers to red and green...the stuffing is much brighter without the unripe (green) bells. (I don't taste 'em later if they aren't in there either)
If you make the cornbread from the linked recipe, halve the salt.
I use white spelt flour instead of white wheat flour in the cornbread...originally because the Siskyou Wing of the family thought they had a problem with wheat gluten. When it turned out they were A-OK with the gluten, I kept using the spelt for it's extra nutty flavor.
After all was said and done, I managed not to succumb to the Turkey Coma...in fact I was still goin' strong when the 11 O'clock News came on. I watched KCRA3's newscast, and they had some footage from Sugar Bowl of holiday skiers sliding down the slopes. Except for the overcast and the flat light, it looked for all the world like late-April snow...I mean slush! The reporter doing the story said it was more springlike than holiday weather...that was one juicy looking trail!
Don't think I wasn't paying attention! I looked at the remote sensors, I didn't see enough cold temps to make snow going back for a week at least, and the last blast of cold-enough temps was accompanied by very high winds.
Looking ahead, the forecast isn't promising...I even looked at Sacramento's AFD (maybe the Chamber of Commerce-Style forecast might feature a glimmer of hope!) Reno's AFD concured, a Blocking Ridge builds in and temps trend up, up, up for the next week. Oh, and the inversion layer stays.
That's a lot of juicy afternoons on the horizon...maybe the NWS forecasters will have time to answer a phonecall and chat about the forecast models and haw the help fine tune them going forward...
A man's gotta have a dream...
I snacked on some dark meat around four in the afternoon, and enjoyed a reheated turkey dinner with a new batch of braised brussels sprouts for dinner. (Thanks Sister K!) Even after sitting in a Ziploc bag for 24 hours in the garage refrigerator, the breast meat was so juicy...not to mention yummy!
Perfect Turkey Hints:
Here's the trick I use to insure a succulent turkey breast every time I roast a bird...it's all about orientation...I owe it all to Fine Cooking Magazine. I lifted the tip from one of their email newsletters in 2008. Save the link for Juicy Roast Turkey, bookmark it, you'll never roast a whole turkey any other way ever again!
Here's the secret: Roast the turkey upside down for the first hour in the oven! That's all there is to it! I know it sounds a little daunting turning a hot slippery turkey over after it's been roasting for an hour in a 325°F oven, but it's a snap...oven mitts on each hand with a wad of paper towels, and it's over and done in under 20 seconds!
I learned a new trick when turning yesterday's bird. I don't stuff the bird, I make my Cornbread and Italian Sausage Stuffing on the stovetop and finish it in the oven, so I just grabbed the bird by the body cavity and with a lift and a twist of the wrist, it was breast side up for the duration!
Here's another tip to insure a great roast turkey...buy a decent bird to begin with! I swear by Sonora's Diestel Turkey Ranch. I've never bought another turkey since the first Diestel I tried. I get mine at Lunardi's Market in Walnut Creek. Safeway has 'em too. I buy a fresh one, not frozen. They taste like turkey!
Stuffing Recipe Hints:
I prefer to use mild sausage, but I fatten up the pinch of crushed red chilies.
I prefer red and yellow bell peppers to red and green...the stuffing is much brighter without the unripe (green) bells. (I don't taste 'em later if they aren't in there either)
If you make the cornbread from the linked recipe, halve the salt.
I use white spelt flour instead of white wheat flour in the cornbread...originally because the Siskyou Wing of the family thought they had a problem with wheat gluten. When it turned out they were A-OK with the gluten, I kept using the spelt for it's extra nutty flavor.
After all was said and done, I managed not to succumb to the Turkey Coma...in fact I was still goin' strong when the 11 O'clock News came on. I watched KCRA3's newscast, and they had some footage from Sugar Bowl of holiday skiers sliding down the slopes. Except for the overcast and the flat light, it looked for all the world like late-April snow...I mean slush! The reporter doing the story said it was more springlike than holiday weather...that was one juicy looking trail!
Don't think I wasn't paying attention! I looked at the remote sensors, I didn't see enough cold temps to make snow going back for a week at least, and the last blast of cold-enough temps was accompanied by very high winds.
Looking ahead, the forecast isn't promising...I even looked at Sacramento's AFD (maybe the Chamber of Commerce-Style forecast might feature a glimmer of hope!) Reno's AFD concured, a Blocking Ridge builds in and temps trend up, up, up for the next week. Oh, and the inversion layer stays.
That's a lot of juicy afternoons on the horizon...maybe the NWS forecasters will have time to answer a phonecall and chat about the forecast models and haw the help fine tune them going forward...
A man's gotta have a dream...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Bounty From The Bay
Tonight we enjoyed another Classic San Francisco Treat. Steamed Dungeness Crab with sourdough bread and a California wine...made all the more special by the company...in this case family.
Dinner was served in the dining room because we all wouldn't fit at the kitchen table. Your humble crab pot puller was joined by the Siskiyou Wing of the family, Sister K and her Hubby, and our Mom. The Siskiyou Wing contributed a Thai Hot and Sour Soup with coconut milk and a nice Pinot Grigio to join the Blanc de Noir and Chardonney.
The conversation was warm, the crab sweet and nutty, and the weather dry...like the bubbly. We tried to decide when we'd celebrate Thanksgiving. With all the families in the family now, picking when to holiday gets a little complicated...logistically speaking. As the hold-out single guy (and Thanksgiving Chef) it's only the weather that informs my availability.
I've been keeping a close eye on the remote sensors and webcams that confirmed the warming trend the NWS forecasters touted as they walked back the latest cold front's precipitation content and arrival time.
I hate to sound like a stuck record, but each of these Fall Systems is thumbing it's nose at the Forecast Models...arriving later than the models predict, and coming in at less than advertized strength. It may be a little premature to call a trend...so let's say it's trending towards a trend.
I'm liking my 75%-85% of average precipitation call for the Winter more with each storm. It will definitely be colder than average...take that to the bank.
Dinner was served in the dining room because we all wouldn't fit at the kitchen table. Your humble crab pot puller was joined by the Siskiyou Wing of the family, Sister K and her Hubby, and our Mom. The Siskiyou Wing contributed a Thai Hot and Sour Soup with coconut milk and a nice Pinot Grigio to join the Blanc de Noir and Chardonney.
The conversation was warm, the crab sweet and nutty, and the weather dry...like the bubbly. We tried to decide when we'd celebrate Thanksgiving. With all the families in the family now, picking when to holiday gets a little complicated...logistically speaking. As the hold-out single guy (and Thanksgiving Chef) it's only the weather that informs my availability.
I've been keeping a close eye on the remote sensors and webcams that confirmed the warming trend the NWS forecasters touted as they walked back the latest cold front's precipitation content and arrival time.
I hate to sound like a stuck record, but each of these Fall Systems is thumbing it's nose at the Forecast Models...arriving later than the models predict, and coming in at less than advertized strength. It may be a little premature to call a trend...so let's say it's trending towards a trend.
I'm liking my 75%-85% of average precipitation call for the Winter more with each storm. It will definitely be colder than average...take that to the bank.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Highway History
Holy Jeez! I'm enjoying the Giants' game Saturday evening and keeping an eye on the Twitter Machine for Giants trade rumors and facts...it seems there's a few fires going off around Reno this afternoon...monsoonal flow and dry fuels...lightning...
Damn, an evacuation order is in place for the Bain Street Fire near Virginia City, and NDOT has closed the Geiger Grade NV341...the Red Rock Road fire north of Stead Field (home to the Reno National Championship Air Races) is at 1000 acres now, too.
I can't find any recent update for the fire on Peavine Mountain, west of Reno and home to the Air Races' "Slot" where the Unlimited Racers line up and take the traditional command...."Gentlemen, you have a race" from the Pace Plane Pilot.
I saw the Peavine Fire tweet a couple of days ago...there's been a week or so of lightning caused fires around the Truckee Meadows as the valley around Reno has been called since the westward migration of the 1840's.
A look at Reno's AFD shows the NWS forecasters aware of the fire danger, but predicting mostly wet thunderstorms hence no Red Flag Warnings.
As I watched the Giants game, there were no new fires after dinnertime. Sister K was visiting the Ancestral Digs for the weekend, so I made a special effort for supper. Eggplant Parmigiano with fresh baked sourdough bread and a simple salad of baby green and herbs with vine-ripe tomatoes and sliced almonds.
After dinner everyone napped a bit then watched some TV. The local PBS station ran "A Ride on the Lincoln Highway"!
I'd never seen the show which tells the road's history and shows some of the 3000 miles of America's first coast to coast highway. Part of the Lincoln highway runs right through Truckee and up and over Donner Summit (Old Highway 40) Over the years, I've lived in three different places on the Lincoln Highway. Until I watched the show, I didn't know that the Lincoln Highway splits in Reno and crosses the High Sierra over both Donner Summit and HWY 50's Echo Summit.
The show didn't cover the Sierra Nevada portion of the route, but it did profile the author Michael Wallis and photographer Michael S. Williamson who wrote a new book: "The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast from Times Square to the Golden Gate".
Onto my Amazon wishlist it went. I drove the Donner Summit portion last Saturday...it was much more pleasant than the highly kinetic, stressed out Interstate 80 was!
I'm thinking I should explore some of the rest of the Lincoln Highway next year when I head east to Texas for the United States Grand Prix in Austin! Gentleman...start...your...dreaming!
Damn, an evacuation order is in place for the Bain Street Fire near Virginia City, and NDOT has closed the Geiger Grade NV341...the Red Rock Road fire north of Stead Field (home to the Reno National Championship Air Races) is at 1000 acres now, too.
I can't find any recent update for the fire on Peavine Mountain, west of Reno and home to the Air Races' "Slot" where the Unlimited Racers line up and take the traditional command...."Gentlemen, you have a race" from the Pace Plane Pilot.
I saw the Peavine Fire tweet a couple of days ago...there's been a week or so of lightning caused fires around the Truckee Meadows as the valley around Reno has been called since the westward migration of the 1840's.
A look at Reno's AFD shows the NWS forecasters aware of the fire danger, but predicting mostly wet thunderstorms hence no Red Flag Warnings.
As I watched the Giants game, there were no new fires after dinnertime. Sister K was visiting the Ancestral Digs for the weekend, so I made a special effort for supper. Eggplant Parmigiano with fresh baked sourdough bread and a simple salad of baby green and herbs with vine-ripe tomatoes and sliced almonds.
After dinner everyone napped a bit then watched some TV. The local PBS station ran "A Ride on the Lincoln Highway"!
I'd never seen the show which tells the road's history and shows some of the 3000 miles of America's first coast to coast highway. Part of the Lincoln highway runs right through Truckee and up and over Donner Summit (Old Highway 40) Over the years, I've lived in three different places on the Lincoln Highway. Until I watched the show, I didn't know that the Lincoln Highway splits in Reno and crosses the High Sierra over both Donner Summit and HWY 50's Echo Summit.
The show didn't cover the Sierra Nevada portion of the route, but it did profile the author Michael Wallis and photographer Michael S. Williamson who wrote a new book: "The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast from Times Square to the Golden Gate".
Onto my Amazon wishlist it went. I drove the Donner Summit portion last Saturday...it was much more pleasant than the highly kinetic, stressed out Interstate 80 was!
I'm thinking I should explore some of the rest of the Lincoln Highway next year when I head east to Texas for the United States Grand Prix in Austin! Gentleman...start...your...dreaming!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Kiss It Goodbye
I was watching the Giants' pregame show today. Another young lion is going on the Disabled List. Brandon Belt was hit by a pitch on his wrist in Tuesday's game with the St Louis Cardinals. Friday he had an MRI of the wrist and it showed a hairline fracture that didn't show on the x-rays.
I wasn't watching the TV per se, just listening while multitasking. What I heard next got my attention and I sat bolt upright and paid attention. The announcers said the Giants were calling up someone who's name I don't recall and that his nickname is: "The Weatherman"
Lemme just say that when I heard fhat my blood suddenly went ice cold. Haven't I suffered enough...winter without end...a spring-long string of injuries to my World Champion San Francisco Giants...and now the indignity of having a guy nicknamed "The Weatherman" added to the roster.
It seems the player is a Storm Chaser...while in the minor leagues, he'd spend his off days chasing tornadoes...sounds like a kindred spirit. Should he stay in the Majors, he won't have time to chase tornadoes. Baseball season overlaps all of Tornado season...welcome to the Big Leagues, Kid...
Now I was rattled...Talk about piling on! I've grown way too sensitive about this weather. I got up and headed for the kitchen.
I turned the radio and started getting dinner together. Sister K is in the house this weekend, Mom had mentioned earlier that it was like Soup Weather, and I was already started on a batch of Bakesale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwiches.
I measured the flour, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt into a tub. I ground the white pepper into the breading tub, snapped the lid on and shook it well.
The game finally started 20 minutes or so late due to the heavy rains in the morning. I turned the TV in the family room on but left the sound off. I gathered the veggies for the coleslaw, the breadboard, and the tools for the prep work and settled down to listen to the game and make the signature coleslaw for Betty's sammies.
I chopped all the stuff and baked a sourdough Luigi loaf. I made yellow crookneck soup, and deep fried the chicken breast fillets that had been languishing in their buttermilk bath since yesterday. I plated everything and called out: Dinner's ready!
The Giants began to come from behind, but alas they came up short. Dinner was fun...Betty's are always a hit.
After dinner I retired to my room and tuned in the Giants' Post Game Wrapup and fired up the internet. There it was...atop my Tumblr feed, a scrap of photographic wizardry that sums up my lousy attitude perfectly. My face grew a wry smile and I felt the warmth returning to my bloodstream.
Submitted for your approval:
If these beauties were real, I'll bet I could sell a gross of them in Truckee in under a week!
I checked all the AFDs: Monterey, SFO, Sacramento, and Reno. The showers will linger through Sunday and move on Monday after which we'll enjoy a dry...but still cool week.
Goodbye Winter...and good riddance!
I wasn't watching the TV per se, just listening while multitasking. What I heard next got my attention and I sat bolt upright and paid attention. The announcers said the Giants were calling up someone who's name I don't recall and that his nickname is: "The Weatherman"
Lemme just say that when I heard fhat my blood suddenly went ice cold. Haven't I suffered enough...winter without end...a spring-long string of injuries to my World Champion San Francisco Giants...and now the indignity of having a guy nicknamed "The Weatherman" added to the roster.
It seems the player is a Storm Chaser...while in the minor leagues, he'd spend his off days chasing tornadoes...sounds like a kindred spirit. Should he stay in the Majors, he won't have time to chase tornadoes. Baseball season overlaps all of Tornado season...welcome to the Big Leagues, Kid...
Now I was rattled...Talk about piling on! I've grown way too sensitive about this weather. I got up and headed for the kitchen.
I turned the radio and started getting dinner together. Sister K is in the house this weekend, Mom had mentioned earlier that it was like Soup Weather, and I was already started on a batch of Bakesale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwiches.
I measured the flour, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt into a tub. I ground the white pepper into the breading tub, snapped the lid on and shook it well.
The game finally started 20 minutes or so late due to the heavy rains in the morning. I turned the TV in the family room on but left the sound off. I gathered the veggies for the coleslaw, the breadboard, and the tools for the prep work and settled down to listen to the game and make the signature coleslaw for Betty's sammies.
I chopped all the stuff and baked a sourdough Luigi loaf. I made yellow crookneck soup, and deep fried the chicken breast fillets that had been languishing in their buttermilk bath since yesterday. I plated everything and called out: Dinner's ready!
The Giants began to come from behind, but alas they came up short. Dinner was fun...Betty's are always a hit.
After dinner I retired to my room and tuned in the Giants' Post Game Wrapup and fired up the internet. There it was...atop my Tumblr feed, a scrap of photographic wizardry that sums up my lousy attitude perfectly. My face grew a wry smile and I felt the warmth returning to my bloodstream.
Submitted for your approval:
I checked all the AFDs: Monterey, SFO, Sacramento, and Reno. The showers will linger through Sunday and move on Monday after which we'll enjoy a dry...but still cool week.
Goodbye Winter...and good riddance!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
I'll Keep It Short Today
I'm hearing from all across the West today...I'm not the only one who's grousing about this damn lingering Winter...
A Facebook friend from Bozeman Montana said:"Feels like an early fall"
From a teacher friend in Grass Valley up in California's Mother Lode:
"It is 62 degrees in our house, it is raining cold outside, and I have asked Steve to build a fire...I feel so sorry for all the souls who left Friday morning to claim their camping spot up in the high country ...."
Jeweler was first out of the gate with: "Would like to know where the sun is shining??"Jeweler went on to say: "Actual snow at my house. Not very pleased"
Here at the Ancestral Digs, a light rain (or more correctly in BayAreaSpeak) a heavy drizzle set in around 5PM. My mother saw the silver lining..."it's good for everyone's gardens"...me I'm hoping the soil will warm soon...warm enough for zucchini, tomatoes, melons, corn and peppers...um...Summer Vegetables!
Chain controls went up over Donner Summit somewhere around 5:20PM. The webcams were showing accumulated snow by then, too.
I spent most of the morning editing all the AMGEN coverage I captured on my DVRs and burning them to DVD so I'll have room for this weekend's motorsports overload...Monaco Grand Prix for the Formula One crowd, and the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The forecast for Indy is good, and the weather's perfect in Monte Carlo too.
The bicycle racers were talking about the Tahoe snow until the last day of the race...AMGEN Organizers have already announced the Start City for next year's AMGEN...Santa Rosa (where it snows, what...once every 40 years?!)
Uggghh...I just looked at the webcams (7:39PM)...snow is sticking down in Truckee now, 4-5 inches at Pass Level, and the 3PM Reno AFD says the cold front is stalled on a Susanville/Gerlach line so the snow will pile up until Sunday morning.
Chain controls were down to Nyack for a while, but are back up at Kingvale, and East down to Hirschdale. The webcams over the Summit show some spun-out cars east of Soda Springs, and gridlock Eastbound at Kingvale...could be that the road's closed due to spin-outs and accidents, but the news hasn't been posted online yet.
It's gonna be humid and 90°F Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the rich, famous, and beautiful will need SPF30 in Monte Carlo.
Sister K caught a cold and won't be coming to town, so I'm going to forgo the homemade ice cream until another weekend...
A Facebook friend from Bozeman Montana said:"Feels like an early fall"
From a teacher friend in Grass Valley up in California's Mother Lode:
"It is 62 degrees in our house, it is raining cold outside, and I have asked Steve to build a fire...I feel so sorry for all the souls who left Friday morning to claim their camping spot up in the high country ...."
Jeweler was first out of the gate with: "Would like to know where the sun is shining??"Jeweler went on to say: "Actual snow at my house. Not very pleased"
Here at the Ancestral Digs, a light rain (or more correctly in BayAreaSpeak) a heavy drizzle set in around 5PM. My mother saw the silver lining..."it's good for everyone's gardens"...me I'm hoping the soil will warm soon...warm enough for zucchini, tomatoes, melons, corn and peppers...um...Summer Vegetables!
Chain controls went up over Donner Summit somewhere around 5:20PM. The webcams were showing accumulated snow by then, too.
I spent most of the morning editing all the AMGEN coverage I captured on my DVRs and burning them to DVD so I'll have room for this weekend's motorsports overload...Monaco Grand Prix for the Formula One crowd, and the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The forecast for Indy is good, and the weather's perfect in Monte Carlo too.
The bicycle racers were talking about the Tahoe snow until the last day of the race...AMGEN Organizers have already announced the Start City for next year's AMGEN...Santa Rosa (where it snows, what...once every 40 years?!)
Uggghh...I just looked at the webcams (7:39PM)...snow is sticking down in Truckee now, 4-5 inches at Pass Level, and the 3PM Reno AFD says the cold front is stalled on a Susanville/Gerlach line so the snow will pile up until Sunday morning.
Chain controls were down to Nyack for a while, but are back up at Kingvale, and East down to Hirschdale. The webcams over the Summit show some spun-out cars east of Soda Springs, and gridlock Eastbound at Kingvale...could be that the road's closed due to spin-outs and accidents, but the news hasn't been posted online yet.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Winning?
It's not what you think...I enjoy the Charlie Sheen show as much as the next single guy, but the title is not an homage to the Torpedoed Truther.
I was feeling pretty good today...rested up from a week of motoring all over California chasing the AMGEN Tour of California and simultaneously trying to stay an hour ahead of the lingering winter, it's snowfall, and the resultant chain controls.
I did some shopping this morning...catching the last day of grocery store sales for those staple items here at the Ancestral Digs. This afternoon I headed out to the HomeDepot for some irrigation timers, seed starter mix, and On Sale 5" vegetable and herb starts...I totally wiffed...struck out...failed...lead down the garden path by the lying HomeDepot Website that claimed my Local HomeDepot Store had 17 of the timers I need in stock...Imagine my surprise when they had a different timer with a different part number that I had not researched. No seed starter mix and the On Sale Starts were Sold Out...zero, zip, zilch...nada...
Deflated, I gave up for the day...tomorrow I'll go back to the manufacturer's website, download the Operator's Manual and compare...these things are kinda complex, and I need them to be. I need close control over fifteen unique sprinkler or soaker hose runs, with a rain sensor so I won't water when it rains.
After dinner I settled in to watch the Giants' game...they lost. Not the end of the world, but I was getting used to their dramatic, come from behind, walk-off wins...hey, Torture is exciting when it ends with a "W" Yeah...you win some, you lose some...life goes on...
Then the sky fell on me! I tuned in KCRA3's 11 O'clock News and the satellite images were disturbing! There's a big, classic Winter Storm wound up in the Gulf of Alaska that's coming to California Wednesday evening. It's forecast to be just a glancing blow...NWS Monterey says showers in the North Bay Area, and the Reno Office says showers in the morning, picking up in the afternoon, with ridge gusts 80-100MPH! Snow level 7500-8000ft...Jesus!
You know, Squaw Valley recorded three feet of snow since the AMGEN Stage 2 start was moved downhill to Nevada City from Squaw last Monday May 16th. Gentlemen...Start...Your...Snowplows!
That reminds me, rain did play it's hand at Indianapolis last weekend. Pole Day wasn't impacted, but Sunday, or "Bump Day" did have a couple of Rain Delays that upped the blood pressure of the yet-to-qualify teams, and broke a few hearts of those who couldn't get onto the track before time ran out.
This weekend, Memorial Day Weekend has returned to normal, that is two of the greatest spectacles in motorsports will be contested on the same day as they have for 50 years until some fools "had a better idea" last season...
At 0430 PDT Sunday May 29th, the fun begins in Monte Carlo, where the Formula One cars run through the city streets of the tiny Principality to the delight of the assembled glitterati (fresh from Cannes Film Festival) I looked, Grandstand seats start at $450USD and I quit looking when half way down the list of grandstands the tix were up to $1450USD! And I thought $89 was steep for a Giants' Game! (Thanks BajaBabe!) I didn't check on the Yacht Mooring Fees..."If you have to ask, you can't afford it" goes the old saw...
At 0900, the ABC-TV coverage of the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 begins...weather permitting...OK, I checked the Indy AFD...things could get a little bumpy for the next few days. Saturday looks like lingering thundershowers, but Sunday looks decent for the 500. Sister K and her Hubby may be in town...I'll be ready to make a batch of Homemade Ice Cream in case they can make it down.
In years past, I hosted an intimate "Ice Cream Social" on Indy 500 Day, but all my gearhead racefan friend are scattered across all four point of the compass today...sigh...
I was feeling pretty good today...rested up from a week of motoring all over California chasing the AMGEN Tour of California and simultaneously trying to stay an hour ahead of the lingering winter, it's snowfall, and the resultant chain controls.
I did some shopping this morning...catching the last day of grocery store sales for those staple items here at the Ancestral Digs. This afternoon I headed out to the HomeDepot for some irrigation timers, seed starter mix, and On Sale 5" vegetable and herb starts...I totally wiffed...struck out...failed...lead down the garden path by the lying HomeDepot Website that claimed my Local HomeDepot Store had 17 of the timers I need in stock...Imagine my surprise when they had a different timer with a different part number that I had not researched. No seed starter mix and the On Sale Starts were Sold Out...zero, zip, zilch...nada...
Deflated, I gave up for the day...tomorrow I'll go back to the manufacturer's website, download the Operator's Manual and compare...these things are kinda complex, and I need them to be. I need close control over fifteen unique sprinkler or soaker hose runs, with a rain sensor so I won't water when it rains.
Then the sky fell on me! I tuned in KCRA3's 11 O'clock News and the satellite images were disturbing! There's a big, classic Winter Storm wound up in the Gulf of Alaska that's coming to California Wednesday evening. It's forecast to be just a glancing blow...NWS Monterey says showers in the North Bay Area, and the Reno Office says showers in the morning, picking up in the afternoon, with ridge gusts 80-100MPH! Snow level 7500-8000ft...Jesus!
You know, Squaw Valley recorded three feet of snow since the AMGEN Stage 2 start was moved downhill to Nevada City from Squaw last Monday May 16th. Gentlemen...Start...Your...Snowplows!
That reminds me, rain did play it's hand at Indianapolis last weekend. Pole Day wasn't impacted, but Sunday, or "Bump Day" did have a couple of Rain Delays that upped the blood pressure of the yet-to-qualify teams, and broke a few hearts of those who couldn't get onto the track before time ran out.
This weekend, Memorial Day Weekend has returned to normal, that is two of the greatest spectacles in motorsports will be contested on the same day as they have for 50 years until some fools "had a better idea" last season...
At 0430 PDT Sunday May 29th, the fun begins in Monte Carlo, where the Formula One cars run through the city streets of the tiny Principality to the delight of the assembled glitterati (fresh from Cannes Film Festival) I looked, Grandstand seats start at $450USD and I quit looking when half way down the list of grandstands the tix were up to $1450USD! And I thought $89 was steep for a Giants' Game! (Thanks BajaBabe!) I didn't check on the Yacht Mooring Fees..."If you have to ask, you can't afford it" goes the old saw...
At 0900, the ABC-TV coverage of the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 begins...weather permitting...OK, I checked the Indy AFD...things could get a little bumpy for the next few days. Saturday looks like lingering thundershowers, but Sunday looks decent for the 500. Sister K and her Hubby may be in town...I'll be ready to make a batch of Homemade Ice Cream in case they can make it down.
In years past, I hosted an intimate "Ice Cream Social" on Indy 500 Day, but all my gearhead racefan friend are scattered across all four point of the compass today...sigh...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
A Good Tired
I slept through the night last night, despite setting my alarm for 0500 to watch the Grand Prix of Turkey LIVE in HD. My DVR watched it too, but in standard def, not HD. I actually saw the start and the first 9-10 laps before I fell back asleep. A travel day really takes it out of a fella...
Saturday, BajaBabe flew into Oakland. I picked her up and we started by figuring out how long it's been since we'd last met face to face. Turns out it's been five years since she was in town...or rather near town, we met in Reno for an afternoon of messing about on errands and fast food. Our one and only trip to Sonic...neither of us was impressed.
On the way home to the Ancestral Digs, we stopped in El Cerrito for Casper's Famous Hot Dogs. Best hot dogs evah!
My Mom and BajaBabe haven't seen each other for way longer than five years, but they get along famously still. Sister K phoned, saying she'd be here in a half an hour...Mother's Day was filling up! I made Rhubarb Braised Pork Chops, and Yellow Crookneck Soup. After dinner I watched the Giants win again in dramatic fashion. Before I finally turned in, I caught up with the Formula One Circus and watched Qualifying from Istanbul on the DVR.
Rested, but still feeling physically tired, I got out of bed around 9 AM this morning. Sister K and BajaBabe were up and the French Roast was brewed. I drank coffee, chewed the fat, and scanned the Sunday paper's ads before retiring to the Den to watch the Turkish GP. Man, the new rules certainly have raised the excitement level. Lots of passing on the track this season...all the way through from the front to the back of the running order.
After the race, I made breakfast Huevos Rancheros w/ vine ripe heirloom tomatoes I picked up at the local Farmer's Market on the way to the Airport Saturday. Delicious, but really a tease of what's coming down the pike once the weather warms.
BajaBabe wondered what we were having for dinner. I'm craving fresh, wild California King Salmon, and the Commercial season opened earlier this week. I called the local fish monger and he said the price was too high for their blood, but try again Wednesday or Thursday. I know from my online fishing club that sport salmon has been a slow pick, which is to say slow so far. Winds have been keeping the fishing effort low, so the intel is slow coming, too. The fishing reports did feature San Francisco Bay Halibut in decent numbers for the first time this season...hello SturgeUrge!
Dinner menu can wait until the game's over...I'm layin' on the bed watching the game and feeling that good satisfied tired. The BodyClock reset is coming along nicely so far.
Saturday, BajaBabe flew into Oakland. I picked her up and we started by figuring out how long it's been since we'd last met face to face. Turns out it's been five years since she was in town...or rather near town, we met in Reno for an afternoon of messing about on errands and fast food. Our one and only trip to Sonic...neither of us was impressed.
On the way home to the Ancestral Digs, we stopped in El Cerrito for Casper's Famous Hot Dogs. Best hot dogs evah!
My Mom and BajaBabe haven't seen each other for way longer than five years, but they get along famously still. Sister K phoned, saying she'd be here in a half an hour...Mother's Day was filling up! I made Rhubarb Braised Pork Chops, and Yellow Crookneck Soup. After dinner I watched the Giants win again in dramatic fashion. Before I finally turned in, I caught up with the Formula One Circus and watched Qualifying from Istanbul on the DVR.
Rested, but still feeling physically tired, I got out of bed around 9 AM this morning. Sister K and BajaBabe were up and the French Roast was brewed. I drank coffee, chewed the fat, and scanned the Sunday paper's ads before retiring to the Den to watch the Turkish GP. Man, the new rules certainly have raised the excitement level. Lots of passing on the track this season...all the way through from the front to the back of the running order.
After the race, I made breakfast Huevos Rancheros w/ vine ripe heirloom tomatoes I picked up at the local Farmer's Market on the way to the Airport Saturday. Delicious, but really a tease of what's coming down the pike once the weather warms.
BajaBabe wondered what we were having for dinner. I'm craving fresh, wild California King Salmon, and the Commercial season opened earlier this week. I called the local fish monger and he said the price was too high for their blood, but try again Wednesday or Thursday. I know from my online fishing club that sport salmon has been a slow pick, which is to say slow so far. Winds have been keeping the fishing effort low, so the intel is slow coming, too. The fishing reports did feature San Francisco Bay Halibut in decent numbers for the first time this season...hello SturgeUrge!
Dinner menu can wait until the game's over...I'm layin' on the bed watching the game and feeling that good satisfied tired. The BodyClock reset is coming along nicely so far.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
A Good Tired
All this family togetherness, and my lingering chest cold have taken their toll on me today...It couldn't be the frenzy of errands and chores I churned out once the Siskiyou Wing and Sister Sweetly headed home to the Great Green North this morning. Sister K made her exit Sunday afternoon...the better to get home to Hubby and her Birthday Dinner!
So, the trip to COSTCO, Trader Joe's, Smart & Final and Safeway are behind me. The Christmas Tree has been undecorated, moved outside and limbed so that it will fit in the Green Waste Recycling Bin.
I've managed to get an hour of packing some of my books and files in, so that my life may once again be lived in a single location. On my "To the DaveCave" list are a bunch of hobby stuff...Sewing Machine, fabrics, and sewing notions. A bunch of my Builder's Tools and Kayak Building goodies, too. My seedstarting stuff and my seed collection for the Diggins.
Part of the joy of starting your own plants from seed is the extension of your "Personal Growing Season" Over the years, I've learned to start my tomatoes around the Daytona 500...mid-February. I used to warm my seed flats for a few days atop my aquarium, but my last anemone fish dissapeared a few years ago, so I broke down the 30 gallon marine aquarium...the freedom to travel without enlisting an aquarium service has been wonderful, but I miss the atmosphere generated by the salt air and full-spectrum lighting...my own personal slice of The Tropics, as it were...
Mr Clownfish was over 11 years old when he went missing...I'm guessing that he lived two or three times as long in my little tank than he would have in the wild...not that he ever lived in the wild, Anemone Fish are among the first marine fish to be bred and raised in captivity...no coral reef ecosystem was raided for my enjoyment!
So, come seedstarting time, I just re-purpose some aquarium heaters to heat some flooded Rubbermaid Totes, and voilà , heated seedbeds! Before you know it, you've got a little garden crowding all your windowsills!
Though I won't be building anything before Summertime, and my sea kayak is already seaworthy, I have developed a re-purposing habit over the years...or more accurately a sort of cross-hobby hybridization habit.
I've kept aquariums since I was a teenager. In the ensuing decades, I've applied aquarium tech to Homebrewing as well as gardening. The old "Rubbermaid and Aquarium Heaters Algebra" made my chilly, second bathroom into a very controlled, consistent Alehouse, where I turned out 10 gallons of all-grain IPA and Porter every three weeks for an entire Ski Season. I filled the extra bedroom with cases of Ale...I finally had to procure a hand truck to move all my "product"
I brewed a batch of "Celebration Ale" and "Porter in the Snow" every three weeks, all winter, and as a bonus, the spent grain went into my three-bin composter and produced a whole cubic yard of the best compost I've ever seen! More hobby cross-pollination.
Looking at the remote sensors this weekend makes me think of gardening and summer sports...damn, it's been warm! Monday's Reno AFD all but promised record High Temps for the Reno/Tahoe Region...they even mentioned that meltwater runoff would be up for a couple of days.
The 6 O'clock news showed heavy traffic coming out of the High Sierra into the valley fog...glad I'm goint the other way Tuesday!
So, the trip to COSTCO, Trader Joe's, Smart & Final and Safeway are behind me. The Christmas Tree has been undecorated, moved outside and limbed so that it will fit in the Green Waste Recycling Bin.
I've managed to get an hour of packing some of my books and files in, so that my life may once again be lived in a single location. On my "To the DaveCave" list are a bunch of hobby stuff...Sewing Machine, fabrics, and sewing notions. A bunch of my Builder's Tools and Kayak Building goodies, too. My seedstarting stuff and my seed collection for the Diggins.
Part of the joy of starting your own plants from seed is the extension of your "Personal Growing Season" Over the years, I've learned to start my tomatoes around the Daytona 500...mid-February. I used to warm my seed flats for a few days atop my aquarium, but my last anemone fish dissapeared a few years ago, so I broke down the 30 gallon marine aquarium...the freedom to travel without enlisting an aquarium service has been wonderful, but I miss the atmosphere generated by the salt air and full-spectrum lighting...my own personal slice of The Tropics, as it were...
Mr Clownfish was over 11 years old when he went missing...I'm guessing that he lived two or three times as long in my little tank than he would have in the wild...not that he ever lived in the wild, Anemone Fish are among the first marine fish to be bred and raised in captivity...no coral reef ecosystem was raided for my enjoyment!
So, come seedstarting time, I just re-purpose some aquarium heaters to heat some flooded Rubbermaid Totes, and voilà , heated seedbeds! Before you know it, you've got a little garden crowding all your windowsills!
Though I won't be building anything before Summertime, and my sea kayak is already seaworthy, I have developed a re-purposing habit over the years...or more accurately a sort of cross-hobby hybridization habit.
I've kept aquariums since I was a teenager. In the ensuing decades, I've applied aquarium tech to Homebrewing as well as gardening. The old "Rubbermaid and Aquarium Heaters Algebra" made my chilly, second bathroom into a very controlled, consistent Alehouse, where I turned out 10 gallons of all-grain IPA and Porter every three weeks for an entire Ski Season. I filled the extra bedroom with cases of Ale...I finally had to procure a hand truck to move all my "product"
I brewed a batch of "Celebration Ale" and "Porter in the Snow" every three weeks, all winter, and as a bonus, the spent grain went into my three-bin composter and produced a whole cubic yard of the best compost I've ever seen! More hobby cross-pollination.
Looking at the remote sensors this weekend makes me think of gardening and summer sports...damn, it's been warm! Monday's Reno AFD all but promised record High Temps for the Reno/Tahoe Region...they even mentioned that meltwater runoff would be up for a couple of days.
The 6 O'clock news showed heavy traffic coming out of the High Sierra into the valley fog...glad I'm goint the other way Tuesday!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Around The World in 70 Centimeters
I checked the local buoys online at 0700 and the data said Normal...the forecast, Normal. We're all systems GO.
I unpacked my digital camera from my tackle bag and the waterproof Pelican Case so I could capture a picture of the top of the boat ramp follies with a minimum of muss and fuss. Saturday was the final day of racing the Finn Class sailboats. The World Champion would be decided on San Francisco Bay Saturday afternoon.
To my dual delight and disappointment, there was no forest of Finn Dollies cluttering the ramp (and making a great photo op) We launched the boat, deployed the coffee and cheese danish, and motored out onto the Bay.
It was a glorious day on San Francisco Bay even though the Salmon didn't come out to play...or the Halibut. Still the wind was moderate, the tides favorable, and the overcast burned off around noon, revealing a glorious day. We couldn't see the Finns contesting the Gold Cup, but we were treated to a picturesque Club Race featuring forty or more 20-something foot long sloops sailing downwind with their colorful spinnakers full.
When we returned to the Marina, there was little sign of the Finns themselves. The Gold Cup World Champion had been decided about two hours before we returned to the ramp to recover the boat.
There was a new class of clutter jamming up the works now...all the Regatta Support Boats were pulling out of the water after spending the week afloat. Judges' and Referees' Boats, Tenders, all manor of Zodaics, Boston Whalers, RIB Inflatables, Antique Yachts and Yacht Club Flagships were tied up at the ramp's docks, sitting on trailers all over the tiny bit of unused parking at the top of the ramp, getting washed down, power washed, and secured for towing...all by men seemingly oblivious to everyone else around them.
SturgeUrge backed the tow rig down "our lane" of the ramp, and I floated the boat onto the trailer. As we were pulling the boat up the ramp on our way to the Washdown Station, Urge said: "Watch me run over a $1000 Finn Mast"..."Umm, I replied, that's probably a bag with five $1000 masts in it!"
The Mast Bag was laying across the lane between the ramp and the Washdown Station...the "Main Drag"! As we drove by the bag, the fellow washing his boat (not at the Washdown Station) kinda glared at us for driving so close to "his" mast bag...
We made quick work of unloading the boat, washing the rods and reels, the boat and the trailer, as we chatted up the guy doing the same in the other washdown lane. We flushed the outboard while we ran the carburetors out of fuel mix. When we were done, I strode back towards the ramp to change into my shorts in one of the dozen or so PortaPotties set up for the event. That's when I watched GlaringBoatWashing Guy pull away and out of the Marina...the Mast Bag was still laying there, obviously not his! Still begging to be run over...right in the middle of the whole show...
Once we got the boat parked in it's spot at the SturgeUrge Compound, we unloaded the tow rig and KirkVallus sauntered in, back from a reunion get together downtown. We had a Dark&Stormy Cocktail on the deck, and caught up for a half an hour.
Back at the Ancestral Digs, my Sister K was in town and was holding dinner until I arrived. We enjoyed gnocchi and converstion, and we all turned in early.
Sunday morning I woke up and brewed a pot of French Roast, and realized I hadn't blogged for Sunday publication. I looked around the internet for some "Wrap Up The Week" items.
I'd been wondering since I heard a radio news tease about the 7.1 Earthquake in New Zealand...did the quake cause any avalanches on New Zealand's Ski Slopes? New Zeasland Ski Reasorts have been on my radar since their season started this summer and I saw a news story of a lift tower failing under huge deposits of rime ice. I wrote about the event here.
So I looked at PlanetSki online (we PlanetWhatevers stick together) and yes...12 avalanches, no reported damage, and no injuries...the temblor occurred when most Kiwis were still in bed.
While reading the NZ Avalanche story, I saw another story citing 70cm of snowfall in the Alps. My handy online Unit Converter says: 70 centimeter = 27.559055118 inches, so for my American Readers...27 1/2 inches of snow fell in the Alps...more "Early Snow"
I'm seeing lots of "Early Snow" stories this summer...that's right, it's still summertime.
On the Atlantic Hurricane Front, there's a lot of Post-Earl hub-bub over the lack of "performance" by Hurricane Earl. Resort operators across the Eastern Seaboard's Hurricane Earl Watch & Warning Areas are pretty upset with the National Hurricane Center's forecasts, and they're plenty angry with the 24/7 Cable News Channels for hyping the hurricane to the degree that the Holiday Weekend Travel Bonanza was denied the tourism sector who, at worst suffered a few hours of heavy rain while their customers were scared off by the media's over the top hurricane hype.
Ongoing hurricane coverage is the ratings motherlode for the Cable News outfits during the otherwise slow Dog Days...hurricanes mean lot's of viewers checking in over and over again...with the Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the All-Time Summer CableNews Blockbuster at hand, there were plenty of high hopes for a repeat performance of the off that charts ratings bonanza.
I can feel their pain, High Sierra Ski Resorts often suffer at the hands of overzealous weather and news outlets over-hyping the weekend forecast. At My Mountain we stand to lose a quarter million dollars a day when Holiday Crowds avoid the mountains at the behest of an overheated forecast teased all week long heading into a holiday weekend. When the "difficult mountain travel for the Holiday" doesn't materialize, it costs us...big time. All things being equal, Ski Resorts tally all their profits on Holiday Weekends, and the Christmas Holidays...period, bottom line. To paraphrase the late Senator from Illinois, Everett Dirkson...a quarter million here, a quarter million there...pretty soon you're talking Real Money!
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