Hardcore Rain Camping.

I'm back.

Short story is: It rained.  Lots.

T-Man and I hiked into the lake area, under a constant shower.  I wore boots, Trever wore flip-flops.  That's right.

We drank tea, and hunkered down in the tent, and I attempted to dry out my socks.  You know they're not going to dry when you wring them out multiple times, and every time they seem to yield more foot-scented water than before.

This morning we hiked out, and I slipped.  I think that's when I lost my fuel bottle for my MSR stove.....suck.

Most hardcore moment of the hike: stripping down to our skivvies, and wading across the river in cold waist high water.

All in all, it was fun, and relaxing.  Always nice to be away from people, even if it's ridiculously wet, and your friend doesn't bring a sleeping bag.

Camp.

I'm going camping in the morning.  With the T-Man, no less.  Will inform of results on return!

Taj Mahal was drunk.

You know what is a good Monday night activity?

Taking yourself out to dinner, solo.

I went to an Indian restaurant, ran up a tab for 2, and read.  I quite enjoyed that, and you will too.

Today was boring, so there's nothing to report...

Vacation to Bolivia!

Man, what a week.  I've been hard at work since I last checked in.  Actually, I haven't really, and it's on the radar of the big boss that I'm not working my 40 hours/week as stipulated by my contract.  My argument is this:  We're not busy enough to warrant me being there 40 hours and/or, I am so good at doing my job, it doesn't take me 40 hours to do what most people can do in that amount of time.  Basically, I'm not changing much....

I've been hanging out, and doing the ice cream stuff.  The usual.  We've started selling at Theo chocolates, where we get our chocolate from.  There's a freezer in the retail store- just one more notch in the belt.

I just got home from having dinner at a co-workers parent's house for dinner.  I met her mom yesterday- she is Bolivian, and she said she wanted to cook me a traditional dinner.

I had 2 different kinds of freeze dried potatoes, one white (they're washed in glacial water) and one black (they're dried on the alto-plano, under hay and stepped on by poor people).  We also had a chicken stew, and the Bolivian equivalent of a Pisco Sour, made with some booze called Singani, made from Moscatel grapes.  We also talked of Che Guevarra and his exploits....

Another week tomorrow....

Marathons and whatnots

I am home from a marathon happy hour session with friends from work.

Highlights include:

-drinking multiple Mai Tais.  They're a great freakin' drink, rarely consumed regularly outside of the Hawaiian isles.

-Choosing my halloween costume: The Intergalactic Explorer on an Earth research mission who is also an alcoholic, female earthling-chaser.  When I do the voice it's really funny, I swear.  "Take me to your coldest malted barley-based beverages!"

-Playing pinball next to a hot/sassy blonde with a tattoo of the virgin mary holding rosaries that have an ice cream cone on the end of them.  Really.  She owes me a drink too.

-Having a #3 dog at Shorty's Coney Island.  Best hot dog experience of the summer.  Bar none.

-Having a Dick's deluxe and vanilla shake for the 1st time in 2 years with my best friend Aki, who is leaving for Syracuse shortly.  We reminisced over past experiences.  To past experiences!

Heat Wave

It's too hot to write anything....

except that the van is finished, pics will be posted soon, and that I watched Superbad last night.  It's got some incredible moments, really.  The scene when McLovin is revealed in ID form.  I love the line, "It was either that or Mohammed."

Watch it if you dare, because it is quite crude at times...

Sunny Days.

I found myself with little to do today, meaning no work at all, and the sun brilliant.

So I ran.  Through the arboretum, Jackson Park, and then up the hill to Interlaken.

And then I swam, after returning to my car, and lounged in the sun, actually tanning myself.  All previous sun exposure this summer: In the form of Farmer's Tan at the (ironically) farmers markets....

I had "chopped steak" burgers, a new theory on burger perfection tonight, and then went to see "Tropic Thunder." 2 surprises: Tom Cruise was enjoyable for his part, and the opening was ingenious.

I can't suggest nor dissuade you from seeing it though.  I spent $10 for a film I'm indifferent about...

Brews for You's

I went to my obligatory Mariners game yesterday with my dad and my brother.  In a lost season, er, a REALLY lost season for the team, I was only slightly optimistic they'd win.

They got smacked up.  Really bad.

But it didn't rain, and the beer was cold.  We played some billiards after the game, and I was once again reminded why I cannot play my dad.  He's just too good.

Then I watched this Israeli movie about an Egyptian band that gets mixed up in their destination's name on a goodwill trip to Israel.  They end up in a po-dunk town, meeting some interesting people.  It had some insanely beautiful cinematography, and some crazy akwardness between the characters.

Wow, I sound like Morgue...

I am the greatest!

See what I've done now.

That's right people. I am thy god!
Being part of Seattle Weekly's Best of 2008 rocks.
I think Empire Ice Cream gets a plaque. It'll be my second, after the Washington State Beef Council's "Steak Martini Challenge."

For those of you who've been privileged enough to hear that epic yarn, I toast you for indulging my story telling!

Polenta Bread

The guy who hounded us for a year about licorice ice cream (but never got it ultimately, when I realized wild licorice root really just infused a dirt...er...an "earthy" aromatic) brought us this bread a few weeks back.
It was INSANE.

I thought he was a pro baker, it was that amazing. And then I found out he's just a retired software engineer with lots of time on his hands. I talked him in to making the recipe, which he did by feel. And he gave me one. In metric. I thought that was so odd....
I baked it at work yesterday, and it came out pretty well. I love the flavor and moistness, but it's structure was too dense. Nevertheless, I made superlative grilled cheese sandwiches with an Italian sheep's milk truffle cheese for dinner. Also in food attendance: A tomato, basil and sweet pepper salad and nectarine-blueberry crisp. Oh, and some Austrian hefe.

Just another Tuesday (very hot!) night.

Sumo Pizza Cats.

My weekend is over, and another week starts.
Our super secret flavor was a big hit: Blackberry sorbet and brown sugar super swirl. Delicious!
I made pizza last night for dinner, and I've realized people at home cannot ever make great pizza dough. Firstly, no one in their right mind would publish a good dough recipe in public domain. Secondly, no one at home has the patience or industrial mixer required to really crank on the dough to make the gluten necessary.
I put garlic jalapeño cheese on my pizza, actually, everything that was a topping was from the farmer's market. Tomato sauce, cheeses, sweet peppers and basil. If only I had gotten some sausage....

And the wiki that I spent too much time reading: Sumo