Speaking of dirtbags....

I really hate Clay Bennet.

And I really cleaned up the title by using "dirt."

Dubya vs Cheeseburgers

A couple of things:

It's amazing how little press Dubya is getting these days. He really has dissapeared into the mists of the media. I realized yesterday on the radio that I was hearing his voice for the 1st time in days, but I constantly hear McCain, Hillary and Obama on NPR. Also, for the 1st time, I read a story where the quote of Bush was ACTUALLY WHAT HE SAID. With all the stammering! For years, the white house had cleaned up his speech for press quotes, but now.....who cares? (Really, who does?)

Also, a taste test of a cheeseburger in a can.

Curse of the Colonel!

Today, on the Bus, we passed a guy with a Hanshin Tigers Jersey on.  Not only that, but it was a Randy Bass Jersey.

Now I didn't get excited you see, since I didn't grow up in Japan.  But the Hanshin Tigers are, for my friend Aki, the best team EVER.  And guess who his favorite player of all time is?  Randy Bass.

I called him to let him know what I had seen, and he went a little crazy, reminiscing about Bass' great past, and the Hanshin wins of years ago (Hanshin was good in the mid 80's.....).

But reading the wiki of Bass was pretty interesting.  Have you ever heard of the Curse of the Colonel? (As in Sanders, my friend.)

I'm back.

So I was criticized last weekend for going a week without posting on my blog.  It's because perhaps these days, it seems I'm rarely at my computer, and if I am, I'm doing other things, like watching episodes of Lost or SGA....

Anyways, I got my new iPod today.  It's so much smaller than my last one, but I suppose there needs to be some advancement.  One thing to add:  It's really nice to be in Amazon's neighborhood, since my free 5 day shipping was delivered overnight, once it left the warehouse.

I needed to get one (which is 8 gigs) since my old one (4 gigs) freaked out and froze once it was filled with 700 mb.  So long Wani-san Jr!  All hail Wani-san Jr.  the 2nd!

I am now officially the Sous Chef of the Seattle Harbor Club.  I work in the city now, whic is immensely better in terms of commute via the bus.  I have myriad busses to choose from, as opposed  to 1 an hour (to home at night).  I am finally on salary, and making more the the US average per year for the 1st time in my life.  Yeah me.

I'm going to go run now.  I promise I have more to say this week, and I really hope to get the pics up this week of my party as well.  Have fun y'all.

Oh! I got a Jew's Harp!

Get Ready

Lots to do today.....

get ready for the Banditos.

Alligator's Birthday

It's my birthday today!

I am 26 years old.  It seems like a big number to me.

But I know it's not that big.

I've already had been treated to a wonderful breakfast at Señor Moose by my girlfriend Angie.  And they gave me a piece of cake too.  Cake for breakfast dessert is reserved for special occasions truly.

I have a party planned for tomorrow night, and will fill y'all in with the details in the aftermath!

My Morning Jacket

My winter jacket problem has (I hope) come to an end.  I wonder which will end 1st, my prob or winter?

Anyways, I had a hard time finding a heavy coat- I didn't have one, since I missed last winter, and I can't remember now what I did before (fleece and a rain coat I think) I left for NZ- and I decided I was done being cold.  So I looked and looked, then decided on getting a down jacket from REI.  It seemed a wise move, being in a sleeping bag jacket.  But it ripped 3 days after I got it, and I retuned it.  My 2nd one lasted longer, but it split it's seems.  The one great thing about REI is that you can take things back for whatever reason.  2 years of shoe wearing, and they break- you can take them back, and get your money back.

So I took 2nd coat back, got credit, and it turns out, they've gotten rid of all their winter coats.  There was nearly nothing.  And I was there a month ago, and they had tons.

So I left angrily, went to 2nd ascent, and payed less for a coat that's sold for waaaaay more elsewhere.  It's a GoLite.  I like in the "uses" description it reads:

• Alpinism
  
• Ice climbing
  
• Backcountry skiing/snowboarding
  
• Around town
  
• Skiing
  

Guess which one I use it for?

Catching Up

So it's been a little while since I posted, but it's been a lot going on for me, so here it is:
I went to Kentucky, with my girlfriend to see her family (I met her dad!). It was my 1st time to the south, even though many people consider Louisville (properly pronounced "Lew-vull")
to be elsewhere, like the Ohio River valley....but I noticed a stereotypical southern experience. The accent, the large & noticeable Baptist presence, the twisters, the drinkin', the rebellin' and such....
We had fun. We ate some damn good BBQ (The elusive Owensborough black sauce on chopped mutton or pork). We drank fine bourbon. We shopped at Wal-Mart. We played nails, and had the cops called on us.
I got a shirt that says, "gettin' lucky in Kentucky." It's green, and I'm wearing it right now.

It appears my work is in Seattle now. I will become the Sous Chef in Seattle. We still need to settle on salary, a big issue I know, but I think it will be good. It's a better bus ride to there, that's for sure. And it will be more flexible in the hours.....I'll keep ya posted.

On Monday, Empire Ice Cream awakened from our winter hibernation to represent at the 3rd Annual Seattle Farmer-Chef Collaborative. It was basically us networking with local producers and chefs, eating and drinking fine things, talking with the guy who was single-handedly responsible for bringing Belgian beer to the USA in the late 70's, and stealing 2/3rds of a suckling pig that had been poorly butchered.
One of the afternoon demos was "how to break down a whole pig." The chef who did it, did a shoddy job (not that I'd do much better, but she's giving CLASS), and when the end of the day came, I heard one of the organizers say to someone, "that pig is still upstairs, and the janitors don't know what to do with it." I sprinted up the stairs to get a garbage bag, and stuffed 2 fresh hams (the rear legs) and the 2 ribs (with loins attached) into said bag.

We ate a good meal that night.

Got Haggis?

Last night after working a long and busy day, exhausted from an antibiotic I took (for a cough that won't quit), I went to the pub for a scotch whiskey.  And not for just a drink.  A drink to commemorate Scotland's Robert Burns' Birthday.

He wrote many poems in a uniquely Scottish voice, and until I met Morgan, had really no idea of the guy.  I like the idea that he wrote odes to food and drink.  He must have been a passionate, passionate man.....

Address to a Haggis, with the modern translation.

Man, the haggis I had in Edinburgh was great.  I can taste and visualize that night well!

I make you jealous

Currently I'm sitting at the library, and have found the complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles 1968-1971.

It is 9 Discs!

I can't wait to listen to all that sweet soul music.

Wacky Mackers.

I was looking for a reference to something called, "spicy berries."  They apparently do not exhist, which is what I figured from the start.

But what I did come across is this:  McDonald's' International Menu Items.

I was intrigued by the India section- Maharaja Mac?

Other notables: All meat served in McDonald's in Israel is kosher, something called a McChutney Burger, meatballs as a side for Happy Meals in Sweden.  Pineapple as one in Hawaii.  The beer in France.  And why was I never told about Pasta Zoo?

Golden Sunrise

Man what a morning!

I wish I had a camera with me, as the Olympics were a real treat this morning with the golden sunrise on their snow-capped peaks.  Normally I don't drive so slow to enjoy them, but I was behind a cop, so I slowed my roll....

I can't believe the Packers lost at home to the Giants.

In -4 degrees no less! (-24 with the windchill)

Now You Have Seen It All.

When was the last time you were on a Japanese Celebrity's Blog?

Bet you didn't know the Alligator was famous-su in Japan.

The only thing better than that of course is to translate it!

True Insanity

This post really doesn't merit a title.

Not much is really happening this week.

I bought a camp stove after an excruciating amount of thought and comparison, as well as being offered different opinions and perspectives from REI staff.  And I ended up leaving the store after 1.5 hours of this game, empty handed.  I did, like I said, buy one used at Second Ascent.

I'll be using it this weekend when I go sledding at the Summit with my girlfriend.  We might snow-camp too.

Man, what a Seahawks game.  Good luck with the Packers on the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field.

Captain Nemo vs. Vampires!

I recently finished reading Jules Vernes' classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."  I can't recommend it highly enough, even if you've read it a long time ago, it's such a great adventure/interesting view of the future.  I like the ideas of getting all your power from seas water, and that the south pole is a mountain in an open sea surrounded by miles of icebergs in an impassible wall.  Then I thought it would be a grand idea to watch the movie, made by 

Disney (starring a young Kirk Douglas- in 1954!).

What a crock!

Disney really messed it up!  The movie rushed through many parts, skipped others, and re-arranged the order of others.  The ending is completely different too- an invading army?!? 

WTF?!?

And most importantly, they made Captain Nemo meaner; more villianesque than in the book.  Vernes' Nemo is a melancholy character you're suppose to dislike, but pity I feel as well....

Also, I've been turning up this band that's been playing on KEXP, Vampire Weekend.  They're from Brooklyn, and you can catch some of their songs on their myspace.

They were also KEXP's 22nd best album of the top 90.3 albums of 2007.  I hate Radiohead.

HNY 2008

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope you had a great time on the eve, and on the 1st.

My new evening was working until about 10:45, and then I raced to a party in Crown Hill.  It was alright, but they did have the greatest record collection I've seen to date....

Yesterday, over at Dustin's house, we had a traditional Southern New Year's day menu:

Fried Chicken and Hoppin' John.  That's black eyed peas and rice basically.  We also made banana margaritas, which cannot be consumed fast enough, as delicious as they are.

2007 is gone, but it was probably the most amazing year of my life.  From having a wonderful girlfriend, to starting up the business, to going on the South Island road trip, it was an epic year indeed.  May 2008 be just as great, or hopefully, better!

Band Names

Wow!  What a holiday time.  I usually don't get into the holiday spirit like others, but when you have friends and family like mine, one can come around.

I received so many great gifts, some highly practical (down slippers which feel like a sleeping bag on your foot), some odd (an ancient coin of the Magi), and a few that are one of a kind.

Those included:

A sequence of pictures of me doing the Haka, then jumping into the cold-as pond on a camping trip last summer (and me running out)

A song composed and performed by The Brothers Ulmer (They need a better band name, like Wani's Ulmers, perhaps?) about me and my adventures. Kenji has come along way in his guitar playing.

And a Guru Josh calendar done by Morgan, with help from the "Cream of the Hutt."  (Another good band name!)  All the months accompany a portrait of people from NZ with the Guru Josh record I stole from the Pacific Inn Pub/Gave to Morgan.  Add to that the fact that all the individuals have the same stupid pose, and include some appropriate frame of reference to how I knew them in a former life.  Excellent.

I love you all, thank you very much.  I feel loved and that's the greatest thing.

Speaking of love, I'm working the breakfast shift at work (6am start) and my soups this week rock 'em hard:

Wed- SW Black Bean with Cilantro Crema

Thurs- Braised Pork with White Beans, Fennel, Mustard Greens and Smoke Spanish Paprika.

Fri- Matzoh Ball.  I've made my own matzoh.  Really.

Too bad there's no one around to eat them....

X-Mas.

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays (don't forget boxing day either)

I'll be in Olympia for the majority of the next few days.

Have fun!

GeoSkillz

I was listening to PRI/BBC world's show "The World" and this was on there:

A Traveller IQ Challenge.

See how good your geography skills are.  I got to level 10.