The Great Cheese Adventure

Given the choice between a) going into work and reading a million poorly written reports on volcanoes or b) driving into Studio City (2hrs) to go taste and buy exciting cheeses at the Artisan Cheese Gallery ... (their website seems to have some fatal issues)

I'm sure it's clear what E-marathoner and I chose to do... They had an incredible assortment of cheeses. Cheeses made from cows, goats, sheep, yaks, water buffalos. There were no giraffe cheeses, I asked. We tasted them all. Yum!




They also had a wide assortment of non-cheeses. My favourite, for no other reason than the obvious, was the "original & genuine purple condiment with grapemust". I'm sure my favourite based on flavours would have been the pickles. But there you go. Does anyone know what the heck this purple is???

Just recently found out about the purple:

"This ancient recipe for Purple Grape Mustard is perpetuated by the House of Denoix founded in 1839. This tradtion of excellence has been handed down through the generations and today Denoix prides itself in using only the finest igredients to produce the authentic taste of this Purple Condiment.

Purple Grape Mustard is made from grape must, mustard seeds, wine, vinegar, water, salt and spices. There is no better condiment for saucisson than French mustard. The earthy tang of this delicious mustard will not only enhance charcuterie but also roast pork, beef and duck. Used in salad vinaigrettes, Purple Grape Mustard will provide a wine-friendly match.

Each jar contains 7 ounces net weight of Purple Grape Mustard Condiment by Maison Denoix from France."

Below is a close-up of "Roaring 40's" blue from Tasmania. It was fabulous. It managed to be sharp and yet also sweet. It managed to be creamy and yet, also crumbly. How does it do it?


And here, HERE is a close-up of a raw sheep's milk cheese from New Jersey. It's called Oldwick, and it's flavourful like you can taste the grass and flowers the sheep ate. Totally cool. And even cooler was that when you first cut into it, it appears pink. Then it fades back to cheese colour. Any ideas on what that is? Some form of oxidation we guessed. The story is that the sheep eat roses and that's why it's pink. E-marathoner and I looked at each other with glaring skepticism when told that.


In true "Gnat" fashion, I insisted on a photo with the cheese crew. Here they are, the most helpful and friendly cheese people around!

Jurassic Park?

In case you didn't quite grasp the enormity of the leaves on my (potted) fig tree that has also decided to bear fruit several months early, here is another photo.

Field Trip Insanity

Yesterday I ran my biggest field trip yet. Last year I thought I maxed out the possible attendance with 57 students (it seemed like more with the broken down limo, lost vehicle, and arrested vehicle) - but lo, yesterday I topped it with nearly 100.

Yup. Nearly 100. That was 28 vehicles in convoy.

Yowza!

Feel free to peruse photos from the day's adventure here.

Again, yowza!

Knitting, knitting, everywhere (part 3)

I finished it. Just in time for it to definitely be too warm to wear. Boy is this snuggly!

fasten nicely...

...or fasten with bugs!

view from over the shoulder...

...and under the armpit!

Knitting, knitting, everywhere (part 2 - final revision!)

The pattern:

I'm pretty sure I've translated the 3 pages of scribbles and numbers into a pattern for Rowan Biggy Print, and (in the size I made for myself): 15mm needles. My guess is that it could easily be made a size bigger or smaller by changing the needle size by 5mm. This yarn seems quite capable of handling 10-25mm needles, despite that it recommends being knit with 20mm.

Seriously... check the size of these needles!!! Kiki and gigantic fig leaf for scale.

Back
Using straight needles, CO 32 sts.
Beg with a RS row, work 2 rows in stockinette st.

Next row [RS]: K2, m1, k to last 2 sts, m1, k2.
Work 3 rows in stockinette st.
Repeat these 4 rows twice more. 38sts, work measures 7.5 inches.

Shape Armholes
BO 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows. 34sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, k2tog k1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 3 times more. 26sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, k2tog k1.
Next Row [WS]: P1 p2 tog p to last 3 sts, p2 tog p1
Repeat these 2 rows 2 times, 18 sts rem

Work one more decrease row as above. 16sts rem.
P 1 row. Place all sts on st holder and break yarn.

Right Front
Using straight needles, CO 4sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K all sts.
Row 2 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, m1, p2.
Row 3 [RS]: K2, m1, k to last 2 sts, m1, k2.
Row 4 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, m1, p2.
Row 5 [RS]: K2, m1, k to end.
Row 6 [WS]: P all sts
Row 7 [RS]: K2, m1, k to end.
Row 8 [WS]: P2, m1, p to last 2 sts, m1, p2.
Row 9[RS]: K2, m1, k to end.
Row 10 [WS]: P to last 2, m1, p2
Row 11 [RS]: K to last 2 sts, m1, k2.
Row 12 [WS]: P2, m1, p to end.
Row 13 [RS]: K all sts.
Row 14 [RS]: P2, m1, p to end.
Row 15 [RS]: K all sts. 17 sts rem.

Shape Armhole
Next Row [WS]: BO 2sts, p to end. 15 sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: K to last 3 sts, k2tog tbl, k1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 3 times more. 11 sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: K to last 3 sts, k2tog tbl, k1
Next Row [WS]: P1 p2 tog p to end
Repeat these 2 rows 3 times more, 5 sts rem

Next Row [RS]: K1, k3tog, k1. 3 sts rem.
P 1 row. Place sts on st holder and break yarn.

Left Front
Using straight needles, CO 4sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K all sts.
Row 2 [WS]: P2, m1, p to end.
Row 3 [RS]: K2, m1, k to last 2 sts, m1, k2.
Row 4 [WS]: P2, m1, p to end.
Row 5 [RS]: K to last 2 sts, m1, k2.
Row 6 [WS]: P all sts.
Row 7 [RS]: K to last 2 sts, m1, k2.
Row 8 [WS]: P2, m1, p to last 2 sts, m1, p2.
Row 9 [RS]: K to last 2 sts, m1, k2.
Row 10 [WS]: P2 m1 p to end
Row 11 [RS]: K2, m1, k to end.
Row 12 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, m1, p2.
Row 13 [RS]: K all sts.
Row 14 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, m1, p2. 17 sts rem

Shape Armhole
Next Row [RS]: BO 2sts, k to end. 15sts rem.
P 1 row.

Next Row [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to end.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 3 times more. 11sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to end.
Next Row [WS]: P to last 3, p2tog, p1
Repeat these 2 rows 3 times more, 5 sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: K1, k3tog, k1. 3 sts rem.
P 1 row. Place sts on st holder and break yarn.

Sleeves (Make 2)
Using straight needles, CO 18sts.
Work 6 rows K1P1 ribbing

Work 6 rows stockinette

Next Row [RS]: K2, m1, work in patt to last 2 sts, m1, k2. 20 sts.
Work 11 rows in patt as set, then work increase row as above once more. 22 sts.

Cont in patt as set until work measures 19 inches or desired length to underarm, ending with a WS row.

Shape Sleeve Cap:
BO 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows. 18 sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: K1, k2tog, work in patt to last 3 sts, k2tog tbl, k1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 4 times more. 8 sts rem.

Place sts on st holder and break yarn.

FINISHING
Sew fronts and back to sleeves at raglan seams.
Sew sleeve seams and side seams.

Ribbing Edge
Using circular needle, with RS facing and beg at edge of top right shoulder, pick up and k:

• 3 stitches, 3 held right front sts, 8 held right sleeve sts, 16 held back sts, 8 held left sleeve sts, 3 held left front sts, and 3 stitches at left shoulder
  
• K2 tog at beginning and end of next 6 rows (working K1P1 ribbing)
• BO all sts.

Using circular needle, with RS facing and starting at bottom edge of right front, pick up and k:

• 8 stitches along bottom front right edge
• 32 stitches along bottom edge (one for each CO)
• 8 stitches along bottom front left edge (48 sts)
• work 6 rows K1P1 ribbing and at the same time: K2tog at beginning and end of each row
• BO all sts
  

Weave in ends.
Fasten at the front with a brooch.

Knitting, knitting, everywhere (part 1)

While "on strike" over the weekend I left the stack of midterms alone and got out a gigantic pair of needles for therapy.
Inspired by super awesome (and gigantic) yarn (above in my colour of choice): Rowan "biggie print", and a cardigan sweater I got on BEG's behalf before xmas - I got started on knitting up a jacket for myself. At this stage it's almost done, but I need another ball of yarn to finish the edging. So as a teaser, I'm starting with this post, and when I finish the jacket I'll post a photo... and maybe my pattern too!!!

when did we grow up???

Lately I've been noticing that everyone around me seems to have become some sort of "adult" - what with the marrying and the babies and the jobs and such. It's making me wish I'd majored in astro-physics and was working on a time machine so that I could keep recycling the fun years over and over and not deal with stuff like mal-functioning knees, shoulders, and pinched nerves in necks.

And on that note, what I've been doing is trying not to suffocate beneath the scads of midterms I need to not only grade, but also keep stats on the students' comprehension level of the "scientific method". It's bimodal. I'm trying to keep the marking as far from the unpleasant side as possible, so I've set up a little station on my upstairs patio with a garden table, music, fresh air and peanut butter cups (ooh, the barfing sensation is returning).


Meanwhile, this is what Kiki is doing. Stupid cat. He has no idea how lucky he is.

a brief knitting interlude

I was commissioned to do a Darwin fish. Awesomeness. Why did I not write down what I was doing as I was doing it? I should've written up the pattern. Oh well, just shows another reason why I need a personal assistant!

FUGLY!!!!!!!!!

I get flyers in the mail CONSTANTLY, and they always make their trip from my mailbox to the recycling bin - this one happened to be on top, and I HAD to share it. There's so many things wrong with this!!!
Look at the hideousness!
Look at the price!
Look at the hideousness!
Oh, did I say that already?
Ewwwwwwwwww!!!

Great Teachers Seminar

Fairly frequently (once every year or so) the college puts on a "great teachers seminar" weekend where teachers go and share ideas/problems/solutions/techniques. I went this year, and I certainly feel like a learned a lot, even if most of that was along the lines of "you're not alone!!!".



Some of my fave teachers and I went for a hike around Lake Arrowhead, here Astroboy, Fractalady (my roomie) and I return to the conference center after a lengthy discussion on hexagons (yes, really). I bet you can tell what they teach!


I also learned that manzanita trees are great for climbing. I'm feeling an "Eloise" moment here.

my current diet

I wonder (not really) what the nutirional content of these things is? Is there a maximum daily dosage that one should maintain? I'm pretty sure I've gone over it...
I have a feeling that my earlier diet of peanut butter cups might have at least contained a milligram of protein in addition to the sugar, right?
Ugh, I think I need someone to control my food intake. I clearly have no sense of self control!

zzyzx

I took a geology course at the desert studies center that now occupies the old resort at zzyzx springs. I am sad/happy to say that I could've, and about half the time actually did, teach the class.

I've decided that someone should start "swinging photos dot com" where one takes photos of one's feet while swinging, with an interesting background. It's quite tricky to do!

Looking at the dunes across soda lake in the mojave desert through the old window frames surrounding the remains of the pool house at zzyzx.

I collected only one rock - the only thing on the trip that was actually new to me. This is a pretty awesome example of pegmatitic hornblende forming in what appears to be diorite melt pods within a large intrusive body. Melt pods is the scientific language... I swear!

This is a sign near California City on 58, I have meant to photograph it many a time, but never seem to pass by when there is daylight. The more I look at it, the more I read something other than "cafe" - can you see what I see???

e-mail...

I received another one of those "amusing" a-mails today. After reading it several times over, I concluded that I had absolutely NO idea what it was about. I understand most of the vocabulary used, but somehow couldn't make sense of it...

Therefore, I have decided to share it with you:

All Banner Approvers

Last Friday the approval Ques were changed to have all Documents route to the compliance Ques before the financial approval Ques.

We attempted to make sure no documents bypassed any approval Que but due to the logic in the system when this change was made there is a possibility documents bypassed the compliance Que.

Please review all documents created before today to insure the FOAPAL is correct. Documents created after Friday will route correctly through the proper Ques.

If you have any problems or questions related to this change please contact me at 5165.

S*** J****

Adieu Sweet Backpack (Adieu Sweet Bahnhof?)

Alas, the yellow backpack has finally died. I figure it's been used for nearly 15 years, so that's pretty good. Right before (literally - as I carried it downstairs, packed) going camping last weekend, the zipper insisted that it would bust open on both sides and never re-zip again.
*sigh*

Adventures in camping

Well, Texas Gal (excellent 4x4 driver), Hot Hands, E-marathoner and I went camping near Death Valley over this long weekend (presidents' b-days - gotta take advantage of them!)
I have tried to narrow down the photos, of which I took many, to a few of the gems we adventured to.

First, here is our camp (location: Tecopa). Note the creek. And the tree. Both tend to be rare commodities in the desert, and therefore I ranked our campsite as excellent. Texas Gal and I hunted it out after arriving and finding our reserved accomodations to be unsatisfactory. I love that we're looking at the Amargosa range in the background and one of many salt flats at the foot of them. Our creek was deliciously hot (and it dawned on me where the name "Furnace Creek" might have come from), and truly the only drawback was the incredible winds we endured the first and last nights (no campfire, alas).


In the immediate vicinity of Tecopa is "Delights Hot Springs Resort" - this is the scene as you enter. Evidently there was once a laundry service offered as part of this resort. Shockingly, the "cabins" (read: run down one-room shacks) that you can stay in at this "resort" run at $60/night!!! Perhaps this is because you are being protected by the shotgun-carrying neighbours from the trailer behind the resort who rose frighteningly from behind their gate of cast iron frying pans (yes, really) as we neared... causing us to turn quickly and retreat.


Also nearby is the Village of Shoshone. We decided not to stay there, although it is a quaint place for sure, the campsite (read: RV park) left something to be desired. We did, however, venture up to visit the first house built in the area, decorated with fabulous wallpaper (picture is an illustration of one of the many examples seen in the house), and checked out a number of fascinating sites in the vicinity.


For example, this is one of the multitudes of piles of tin cans as far as the eye can see marking the locations of where miners used to live in the early 1900's. This pile is outside of "Dublin City".



China Ranch is one of the nearby sites that is absolutely worth visiting. They are a date farm/oasis located down an unsuspecting rough road that is lined with old gypsum mines. There are a number of hikes that one can do out there (not sure what that sign meant - but that was on a hike) and you can also fill your gullet with delicious dates and date products (date bread, date cookies, date shakes, etc.). This area has been in use for quite a long while and only with the recent owners has it become profitable in the date-farming business. But, because of the history, there are all sorts of ruins on the property that are fun to explore, I selected this old car to represent some of this scenery.



Between Tecopa and Shoshone, along Furnace Creek dirt road, lies "Hepatitis Hot Springs". Naturally, I desperately needed to go there. Unfortunately there were again signs of vandalism (including the sign with the name of the place being stolen, although that was not wholely unexpected), but it was fun to see this little square pool of natural hot mineral water in the middle of absolutely nowhere. This is one of those places that you have to know is there in order to find it.


We also ventured out to try and find the ghost town of Ibex Springs - we never made it, due to the "road" being so badly washed out it no longer resembled road at all. We did, however, make it up to one of many many talc mines in the area, the Mammoth Mine. This was really fun - still had the loading ramp (built out of wood), and a talc pile down the road where it would have been stored. It was so soft!!! We climbed it and jumped on it, and freely explored while also enjoying the scenery.


On the road back, Texas Gal and I decided to forego the inevitable Vegas traffic and take a much much MUCH longer road back through Death Valley. I was inappropriately dressed for the day's adventures. Death Valley was unseasonably cold, windy and wet - and here Texas Gal and I huddled in one of the remaining corners of the Ashford Mill (built by the Ashford brothers, who were also inhabitants of Dublin City).


We also made a stop at the lowest point of elevation in the USA, Badwater Basin... To prove the unseasonable wetness, note the water in the basin - which is normally bone dry. Here Texas Gal is reaching up towards sea level... it's quite a ways off!


Continuing to places for which I was inappropriately dressed, we ventured up to Skidoo townsite. It's way up there in the Panamint Range on the west side of Death Valley, and was once a populated gold mining town. In the 10 years that it was in use, the resident miners dug 1000 tunnels and shafts into the mountains... this site is some 5000 feet up (hence the snow) - I just can't even imagine back in the early 1900's carting the equipment they needed to mine, to build, and to live up there. It's mind-boggling. Note to the left of the sign you can see an adit in the hillside.

12 and a half minutes to go

I was called up by the local news station to talk about Global Warming on the "Sunrise" show. I said sure - thinking (naively) that I'd have some 10 minutes to explain some things.

This was not the case.

In fact, upon receiving further detail, I learned that I was to give Kern County the top 5 tips that everyone can do to (quote) STOP GLOBAL WARMING. I was also given 5 minutes to do this in. This told me that people were perhaps less informed about Global Warming than I had hoped... Tips to "STOP" global warming? Oh sure - no problem, if we all do this RIGHT NOW the trend will reverse itself.

Then, after sending the news team some graphics and information, they replied with much enthusiasm that they were very excited to run this segment, and that it could be 3 minutes long! And I'm thinking... 3 minutes??? THREE??? I'm not going to get ANYTHING across clearly in 3 minutes.

So, this morning I showed up at the news station and the anchor, who was to be interviewing me, came over and chatted with me about what we would go over. He informed me we would be getting 2.5 minutes. Since by then my hopes of this being an educational/informative piece were already dashed, AND since I am still in the midst of a sinus cold, I resigned myself to just trying to inform people that they should use less energy.

Sadly... even this did not come across as clearly as I had hoped.

bowling bowling bowling

Irish Girl and I are bowling together this semester, and while trying to come up with a team name/logo - we figured that of the two things we have most in common (shrimp allergy and mad sewing skillz), sewing was the theme to work with.

And thus, the name "Pins N Needles" was born. And, after several hours of not working on work related things, (instead working on photoshop and drawing on paper) our logo was also born:

Car Names

I feel a little silly giving my vehicles names... but I'm happy to post a poll as per Kilometres' request.

First let me tell you that I do refer to them with sort-of names:

Good OL' Faithful (went off roading many a time)

and

The Wrongler (square headlights)

But feel free to offer up suggestions and we can vote on it or something...

For Real?

I was driving behind a truck with an unusual logo on it. Well, only unusual in that I had never seen it before. I get the impression this pastry company has been around for quite a while, because I just can't imagine bringing this brand name to a marketing executive today and having them leap on the idea...

Armed with a pointy stick!

Today, in a fit of defiance and solitary determination, I Jeeped out to Red Rock Canyon solo. Turns out that wasn't too hard to do afterall, but the lack of companionship decreased my inane "bravery" to a level that prevented me from exploring old rundown buildings. I still ogled them from a safe distance though. Below is a summary of the day with geology learning links especially for Kilometres.


I like how my jacket's shadow makes me look like the marshmallow man! Grrr! Beware the pointy stick! I bet it could be a snake-stick too if need be. Thanks sister-dear!

It was a gorgeous sunny day, crisp air, but lots of warm sunshine! I took the opporunity to dry run a field trip I will do this semester and also take photos with my super-awesome 28-105 mm lens. Of course, since I was mainly using the ol' Nikon - I only took a couple of digital snaps to show all my faithful blog-readers. Here I am parked at the edge of a basaltic lava flow (most recent flow 130 000 yrs old atop fabulous columnar-jointed 400 000 yr old basaltic lava flow, annoyingly in a virtually impossible-to-photograph location) by a red cinder cone and "Fossil Falls". No murders today though.

Behind the red cinder cone is a flat expanse of mud cracks and a field of pyroclastics. It's a most surreal landscape (got to test 4wd here!).

And the "gem" of the day has GOT to be this Joshua Tree sculpture. When I first drove by I thought it was a regular tree decorated with some sort of shiny geometric design. I couldn't figure that out, so I figured out how to get to it. Can you guess what it's made out of? Behind are shacks that I desperately wanted to investigate, but vetoed, just in case they were near crazy desert folk with guns who didn't want me investigating.

taxes...

How can I get charged taxes on the taxes I overpaid and was returned last year? Is this part of the "non resident" forms I have to fill out? Or is this an entire USA thing?
I'm not a pro at this taxes stuff, but (primarily because I have to pay this year as a result of this) I don't think it's fair!
WAH!

Names

I've had some interesting student names in the past:

Ulysses

Ezekial

Refugio

and certainly a large number of Jesuses (but that comes with the territory)

I also get the "typical" "odd" names like Lavita, Laquanda, Benessa, Tamika, Tenisha, Chanell, Bettina, and even Griselda, etc. pretty frequently.

But this semester I have a Shennandoah as well, and I think that's pretty damn awesome!

HUH?

What the???
What food product is this advertising?
And also, what the????????????

surreal

I got the Golf back last evening... wow, after not driving it for a month, I had NO IDEA what to do in it!!! It felt weird sitting low and slightly reclined - being able to stretch my legs towards the pedals. It felt weird not bumping up and down constantly. My left leg had no idea what to do. My right hand kept changing gears, which in the automatic is no good... On the other hand it was really nice and quiet inside the Golf - no rattling, whistling or any of that...

And now, here they are, my cars parked side by side.


Totally surreal.

The Golf is longer, the Jeep is taller - but they are both pretty tiny compared with the majority of vehicles around here. I felt like I was a pro parallel parker in the Jeep last week at work - I could squeeze its short little body in some pretty impressive spaces. It's really easy to parallel park when you're sitting up higher!

last weekend

Twas a busy LA family weekend, as they usually are, but fun and full of wine... (as they usually are!)

Amelia had an egg baby to look after for Home-Ec - lucky for her Hazen was a willing babysitter...

Amelia jumping Raffi impressively... she's the only one of us who earned her food!

We had a couple of nice post-riding lunches at the ranch house (which has bizarre decorations on the walls)

How to use chopsticks

We went out for Korean food to "celebrate" the Extreme Chef's birthday. Food was delicious, service was... interesting... and the best part of all was the little paper wrapper that the chopsticks came in. (The chopsticks felt the need to play "wishbone" and split not even remotely close to center, by the way.)

The chopstick wrapper illustrated how to use chopsticks if you have extraneous digits, too few digits, or perhaps a lobster claw, depending on which part of the illustration you are examining. We also weren't sure what we were picking up with the chopsticks: a coin? a paper towel roll?

ohhhh, California

I received this e-mail today.

Subject:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Possible Inclement Weather

Attachments:

Date: January 10, 2007

To: All Bakersfield College and District Office Employees

From: G*** C**********, Associate Chancellor, Educational Services

At the present time, national and local weather forecasters are predicting noticeable amounts of snowfall within the Bakersfield community overnight and on the morning of Friday, January 12, 2007. In order to alleviate some of the potential problems encountered during the 1999 heavy snowfall, administration will evaluate the situation early Friday and issue a decision regarding closure of Bakersfield College and the District Office.

If a decision is made to close Bakersfield College and the District Office, the information will be given to the local media (radio and television) for publication. A notice will also be posted at the Bakersfield College and District websites. In addition to checking these resources before coming to work on Friday, personnel are strongly encouraged to call the telephone numbers below to determine if a snow closure notice exists.

Bakersfield College 395-****
Kern Community College District Office 336-****

If a snow closure is determined at your job site, please do not come to work!

Thank you.

Granted, it has been reaching around freezing at night, however, I highly doubt the likelihood that we could get enough snow to actually last during the day and cause problems. Well, if there were Canadians driving around Bakersfield that is...

Mine!

Gotta remove that license border... or add the letter "a" between "am" and "pain". Note anything on the rearview mirror?