I'm Back

Hey everyone. I'm back from my vacation, and it went by way too quick, as expected.
I don't have the pics for y'all yet, but I'll recap it for ya.

Down to the redwoods first. It rained. A lot. We abandoned the tent after the 1st night, and slept in the car. It turned out that our campsite sat above clay, so it drained really slowly. If we had let the tent lay, we would've been under 2-3 inches of water.
But the hiking was amazing, since it was serene and mystical, with the fog hanging around the tree trunks.
Then to SF, and a stay in the tenderloin, the seedy part of downtown. We had a great meal at Cafe Zuni too.
The next notable thing was going to Magic Mountain to ride the coasters. I was nervous at 1st, but quickly got over the feeling, and enjoyed them. Going upside down 7 times? Whatever!
We then we went to San Diego and saw my step sister Heather and Angie's friend Chris. We had a great time there- the weather was perfect!
Out to the desert. Joshua tree was very different for me. I've never spent much time in the desert, with it's quiet nothingness. The trees are quite peculiar as well....
Then to the Grand Canyon. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. We hiked down into the canyon, descending over 2000 feet, on a 6 mile hike. One day I will go down to the bottom and see the river and look up to the top of the hole I've fallen into...

Vegas. I lost.

Sequoia Nat'l Park was really cool. I wanted to explore it further, but in reality, one needs to hike into the depths of the park. There's really only 1 road through the park, and you see probably 1/5 of the park from it. And in the adjoining King's Canyon, you see far less from the road.

From Sequoia, we went to a really nice lake outside of Fresno, and drove back up to Seattle with a stop in Ashland, OR- home of the Shakespeare Festival.

We spent a lot of time in the car, but saw a lot of my country, which I feel I haven't properly done in the past. But now I know this: There's a lot of truly beautiful land out there. It never failed to make me realize how lucky I am to live here for the splendor of the Nat'l Parks.
It was a great trip, and I'm sad I have to go to work tomorrow!

sunday reading

I just read this article on the oil/war conspiracy. It's nothing new to me, but it's nice it's in the Washington Post.

I also had a big meal of goat bbq last night (with goat meatballs too). Tasty!

Beware!

Oh those ides!  Always misbehavin'.

Who knows what and when I'll post next.  I leave tomorrow, and will be on the road.  So don't get too worried about the blogging absence.

Later.

Windy

It's been windy like Wellington this week here in Seattle.

It reminds of the time pretty much the same time last year, right after I returned, when I was downtown at a corner. A huge gust came and these 2 women right next to me went crazy. I laughed out loud (unintentionally) and they looked at me. I just said to them, "this isn't windy. I know windy!" I then put on my cool sunglasses and jumped into my sports car and drove away.*


*That last sentence may not have happened. But it may have too....

Great Dentists

Not much happening round these parts, except preparing for the aforementioned trip this coming weekend.

I did go down to Oly to see my brother and my friend Aki, both of whom came home for spring break.

One other note: save your money and DO NOT PART WITH YOUR MONEY TO SEE 10K B.C.

It was boring, oh so boring, and terrible!  But apparently, there were some great dentists long, long ago...

Tripping

I'm starting to make a pile in my (just cleaned up) room for stuff for my road trip.  Angie and I are leaving the night of the 16th, and will be gone till the 1st.  I have a big list I've realized.  And I can take a big list as well.  With an Honda Element we have a lot of space, but she just bought a roof rack, after a ridiculous amount of hassle.  But I'll let her tell that story (which I doubt she wants to revisit).

Anyways.  I think I've bought all the gear I'm going to need.  I like gear I've realized.  There's one new thing you can say you know about me:  Alligator likes gear.

And the number 1 question of the last 2 weeks:  What's your route?

For (hopefully, but I highly DOUBT) the last time:

Seattle to Portland

Portland to Redwoods Nat'l Park

Redwoods to San Fran

San Fran down Highway 1 to a park on the ocean out side of Santa Barbara

From there to Six Flags Magic Mountain (rollercoasters)

To San Diego

From SD to Joshua Tree Nat'l park

Then to the Grand Canyon

Then to Vegas

Then after I win big, to Sequoia Nat'l Park.

Then up I-5 to northern california/oregon border

Then back to Seattle

A lot of miles.  Some stops are a couple of nights.  Most are one.

It should be fun.

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