Confidential to TGS :
Oh, I already have such a crackspot scheme, and will be in Atlanta from July 7-24, excepting July 14 and 15 (when I'll be on another crackpot errand to gain Silver Medallion status on Delta, by journeying to Charlotte and flying back to Atlanta, staying just long enough to catch a Charlotte Knights game.)
Start a'lookin'!
Monday, June 27, 2005
San Dee-egg-e
So I'm down in the land of the eternally humid summer for a little less than 48 hours, to do some federal grand jury work.
I arrived early on United, thought repeatedly why I like them so much as an airline (I walked up five minutes before the flight before mine was boarding, and they gave me a boarding pass for an aisle seat with an empty seat to my right.) I mean, they do plenty wrong, but they, more than any other airline I fly, make it up by doing enough right.
On arrival in PB, I parked the car at the library that didn't open until noon, and walked over to the beach. I was just going to walk down the boardwalk, but then the temptation was just too great: I took my shoes and socks off, and walked in the ocean. It was delightful, bordering on transformative.
This will sound ridiculously cliché, but the immense stress of the last few days seemed to just melt away: moving (again) to SLC after relocating to Atlanta for only the month of July; a tumultuous divorce in the family; coming down here on last-minute notice; the closing the practice stresses. All gone, if only for a short time.
I'm now enjoying the public library's free wifi (at every location!) here in PB, and preparing for a 3p client meeting.
More soon. Tonight, a $35 hotel room via Priceline in the heart of the Gaslamp -- that's right, only $12-$13 more than sleeping in the hostels around the corner!
So I'm down in the land of the eternally humid summer for a little less than 48 hours, to do some federal grand jury work.
I arrived early on United, thought repeatedly why I like them so much as an airline (I walked up five minutes before the flight before mine was boarding, and they gave me a boarding pass for an aisle seat with an empty seat to my right.) I mean, they do plenty wrong, but they, more than any other airline I fly, make it up by doing enough right.
On arrival in PB, I parked the car at the library that didn't open until noon, and walked over to the beach. I was just going to walk down the boardwalk, but then the temptation was just too great: I took my shoes and socks off, and walked in the ocean. It was delightful, bordering on transformative.
This will sound ridiculously cliché, but the immense stress of the last few days seemed to just melt away: moving (again) to SLC after relocating to Atlanta for only the month of July; a tumultuous divorce in the family; coming down here on last-minute notice; the closing the practice stresses. All gone, if only for a short time.
I'm now enjoying the public library's free wifi (at every location!) here in PB, and preparing for a 3p client meeting.
More soon. Tonight, a $35 hotel room via Priceline in the heart of the Gaslamp -- that's right, only $12-$13 more than sleeping in the hostels around the corner!
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Earthquakes and California attitude
being born and raised in California, it has long been a source of amusement to me the fear, dread, and sometimes terror, that many transplants to the Golden State feel about earthquakes. While not foolproof, it's often a way of identifying people not really from California, much like people who say "Cali". (Note to those from California: if you were born here, and raised here for any significant portion of your life, and you still say "Cali", well, you're stupid.)
Many of us from California regard earthquakes, both as potential threat, and when they happen, as something to be fairly glib about. Now, don't misunderstand me here: people who have lived through the 1989 Loma Prieta quake (which interrupted the start of Game 3 of the Bay Bridge World Series), or Northridge quakes, probably feel somewhat differently about them, likely similar to people who live in the high desert of southern California, which gets earthquakes pretty constantly. But those of us in most of California tend to find the idea of earthquakes borderline entertaining.
So this morning, I felt what I thought was an earthquake at 11:47am. I'm going to go ahead and admit the slightly embarassing circumstances that probably made it possible for me to feel this particular seismic event: I had only recently woken up, and was sitting on the toilet, reading.
I felt like the toilet (and, by extension, me) were wobbling forward and backward, and I looked down at a water bottled that was sitting on a perch of several books on the floor, in whcih the water was sloshing around a bit. By the time I looked at my watch, it was basically over.
So, Dr. Smartypants, who likes to follow earthquakes, soon after came upstairs to chat, and I sent her down to check on this potential earthquake. Sure enough, there was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 5 miles N-NW of Tahoe Vista, California at 11:45:58am, about 95 miles away as the crow flies.
Whoopee! I was right! See what I mean? It's just fun to feel earthquakes here most of the time.
Sure enough,
being born and raised in California, it has long been a source of amusement to me the fear, dread, and sometimes terror, that many transplants to the Golden State feel about earthquakes. While not foolproof, it's often a way of identifying people not really from California, much like people who say "Cali". (Note to those from California: if you were born here, and raised here for any significant portion of your life, and you still say "Cali", well, you're stupid.)
Many of us from California regard earthquakes, both as potential threat, and when they happen, as something to be fairly glib about. Now, don't misunderstand me here: people who have lived through the 1989 Loma Prieta quake (which interrupted the start of Game 3 of the Bay Bridge World Series), or Northridge quakes, probably feel somewhat differently about them, likely similar to people who live in the high desert of southern California, which gets earthquakes pretty constantly. But those of us in most of California tend to find the idea of earthquakes borderline entertaining.
So this morning, I felt what I thought was an earthquake at 11:47am. I'm going to go ahead and admit the slightly embarassing circumstances that probably made it possible for me to feel this particular seismic event: I had only recently woken up, and was sitting on the toilet, reading.
I felt like the toilet (and, by extension, me) were wobbling forward and backward, and I looked down at a water bottled that was sitting on a perch of several books on the floor, in whcih the water was sloshing around a bit. By the time I looked at my watch, it was basically over.
So, Dr. Smartypants, who likes to follow earthquakes, soon after came upstairs to chat, and I sent her down to check on this potential earthquake. Sure enough, there was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 5 miles N-NW of Tahoe Vista, California at 11:45:58am, about 95 miles away as the crow flies.
Whoopee! I was right! See what I mean? It's just fun to feel earthquakes here most of the time.
Sure enough,
Thursday, June 23, 2005
More on how the Spankeez suck
Phew! I was wondering if I was going to have to post an eat-my-words e-mail after the Spankeez pounded the (lowly) Devil Rays yesterday 20-11, and Centimeter Jeter went 5-6 with a homer, and A-Rod, Twitch, Matsui, and Posada all homered, with a ridiculous 13-run eighth inning (including back-to back-to back home runs.)
Good news! The hated Yankeez (37-35) got spanked today by the even lowlier Devil Rays (26-47). Jeter was 0-5, Williams 1-3, Matsui 0-3, Giambi 0-1 (pinch hitting). Only Twitch Sheffield had a good day, 2-4 with a home run.
The 26 and 47 Devil Rays are now 6 and 3 in their meetings this season with the Yankees. Ha!
Phew! I was wondering if I was going to have to post an eat-my-words e-mail after the Spankeez pounded the (lowly) Devil Rays yesterday 20-11, and Centimeter Jeter went 5-6 with a homer, and A-Rod, Twitch, Matsui, and Posada all homered, with a ridiculous 13-run eighth inning (including back-to back-to back home runs.)
Good news! The hated Yankeez (37-35) got spanked today by the even lowlier Devil Rays (26-47). Jeter was 0-5, Williams 1-3, Matsui 0-3, Giambi 0-1 (pinch hitting). Only Twitch Sheffield had a good day, 2-4 with a home run.
The 26 and 47 Devil Rays are now 6 and 3 in their meetings this season with the Yankees. Ha!
Confidential to The Good Senator:
Wanna go back to the south?
www.javavino.com:
ALL SUMMER: * THUR - $18 bottomless (wine) glass
Here is their wine list.
Oh, and they sell rainforest friendly coffee, and have free wireless.
Wanna go back to the south?
www.javavino.com:
ALL SUMMER: * THUR - $18 bottomless (wine) glass
Here is their wine list.
Oh, and they sell rainforest friendly coffee, and have free wireless.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
nowhere, is where I've been
Blogging opportunities and/or energy have been limited of late, as I've been sifting through 142 file boxes from dad's storage, going through document by document, determining what needs to kept, what needs to be shredded, and what can simply be recycled (the overwhelming majority so far.) It's a god-awful fucking miserable task, and the house looks like shit with boxes stacked everywhere until I complete it, or at least make a dent.
That said, it has provided the opportunity to listen to plenty of baseball games on XM, and play lots of online poker, both of which I can do easily enough while going through files (often all three simultaneously.)
On the note of baseball, I was struck this morning by the San Francisco Chronicle's listing of the top 52 paid players in baseball. Don't ask me why it's 52, other than it might have been neat to them to list 52 since four players are tied for that mark, at $9,000,000 per year, and three of them play for west coast teams: Bret Boone (Seattle), Troy Glaus (Arizona), Ryan Klesko (San Diego), and Greg Maddux (duh: Chicago Cubs).
More interesting about the list though is how clearly it demonstrates the hated Skankeez (oops, Yankees) monetary advantage: they have ten players in the top 52 (the top 39, actually). There are 30 teams in baseball. Do the math.
What is pleasing, though, is that of the 34-32, 3rd place in the Al East, five games behind Baltimore, arrogant, nasty Skankeez overpaid player list, only one of them, Alex Rodriguez, is actually on the AL leader list in more than one category (A-Rod for runs, RBI, and home runs), and only a grand total of three Yankees are on the AL leaders list (as published in the Chron) at all: Hideki Matsui, not on the list with his $8 million salary, is fourth for doubles with 18; Randy Johnson, 15th on the salary list at $15,419,815, is second in strikeouts at 91 (30 behind the AL leading Johan Santana of the Twins, who will earn $4,750,000 this year.) (What a long, nasty run-on sentence that was. So sue me. Or get your own damn blog.)
Let's see what the other Yankees on the overpaid player list are doing, shall we?
4. Derek "Arrogance" Jeter, SS, $19,600,000: hitting .299, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 44 runs, 8 SB
5. Mike "The 19 Million Dollar Moose" Mussina, SP, 19,000,000: 7-4, 3.89 ERA, 61 K, 21 BB, 1.34 WHIP
11. Kevin "Angry" Brown, SP, $15,714,286: 4-6, 5.48 ERA, 45 K, 15 BB, 1.61 WHIP
16. Jason "Steroids" Giambi, 1B, $13,428,571: hitting .242, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 19 runs, 0 SB
25. Bernie "Backup" Williams, CF, $12,357,143: hitting .238, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 16 runs, 1 SB
27. Gary "Twitch" Sheffield, RF, $11,496,689: hitting .300, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 40 runs, 6 SB
30. Jorge "Bare Hands" Posada, C, $11,000,000: hitting .297, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 27 runs, 1 SB
39 (tie). Mariano "Pitched 25 Innings This Year" Rivera, RP, $10,500,000: 3-2, 1.05 ERA, 29 K, 9 BB, 15 saves
What a bunch of overrated, overpaid trash. Only Rodriguez, Sheffield, Posada, and Rivera are even coming close to having respectable seasons, and there is no way I will ever accept that A-Rod, currently placing in only four major AL leader categories (he's third in walks), is worth $25.7 million a year. Not when he also lists above the fold in strikeouts (46) and caught-stealing (3, when he only has 6 successful steals???).
Blogging opportunities and/or energy have been limited of late, as I've been sifting through 142 file boxes from dad's storage, going through document by document, determining what needs to kept, what needs to be shredded, and what can simply be recycled (the overwhelming majority so far.) It's a god-awful fucking miserable task, and the house looks like shit with boxes stacked everywhere until I complete it, or at least make a dent.
That said, it has provided the opportunity to listen to plenty of baseball games on XM, and play lots of online poker, both of which I can do easily enough while going through files (often all three simultaneously.)
On the note of baseball, I was struck this morning by the San Francisco Chronicle's listing of the top 52 paid players in baseball. Don't ask me why it's 52, other than it might have been neat to them to list 52 since four players are tied for that mark, at $9,000,000 per year, and three of them play for west coast teams: Bret Boone (Seattle), Troy Glaus (Arizona), Ryan Klesko (San Diego), and Greg Maddux (duh: Chicago Cubs).
More interesting about the list though is how clearly it demonstrates the hated Skankeez (oops, Yankees) monetary advantage: they have ten players in the top 52 (the top 39, actually). There are 30 teams in baseball. Do the math.
What is pleasing, though, is that of the 34-32, 3rd place in the Al East, five games behind Baltimore, arrogant, nasty Skankeez overpaid player list, only one of them, Alex Rodriguez, is actually on the AL leader list in more than one category (A-Rod for runs, RBI, and home runs), and only a grand total of three Yankees are on the AL leaders list (as published in the Chron) at all: Hideki Matsui, not on the list with his $8 million salary, is fourth for doubles with 18; Randy Johnson, 15th on the salary list at $15,419,815, is second in strikeouts at 91 (30 behind the AL leading Johan Santana of the Twins, who will earn $4,750,000 this year.) (What a long, nasty run-on sentence that was. So sue me. Or get your own damn blog.)
Let's see what the other Yankees on the overpaid player list are doing, shall we?
4. Derek "Arrogance" Jeter, SS, $19,600,000: hitting .299, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 44 runs, 8 SB
5. Mike "The 19 Million Dollar Moose" Mussina, SP, 19,000,000: 7-4, 3.89 ERA, 61 K, 21 BB, 1.34 WHIP
11. Kevin "Angry" Brown, SP, $15,714,286: 4-6, 5.48 ERA, 45 K, 15 BB, 1.61 WHIP
16. Jason "Steroids" Giambi, 1B, $13,428,571: hitting .242, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 19 runs, 0 SB
25. Bernie "Backup" Williams, CF, $12,357,143: hitting .238, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 16 runs, 1 SB
27. Gary "Twitch" Sheffield, RF, $11,496,689: hitting .300, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 40 runs, 6 SB
30. Jorge "Bare Hands" Posada, C, $11,000,000: hitting .297, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 27 runs, 1 SB
39 (tie). Mariano "Pitched 25 Innings This Year" Rivera, RP, $10,500,000: 3-2, 1.05 ERA, 29 K, 9 BB, 15 saves
What a bunch of overrated, overpaid trash. Only Rodriguez, Sheffield, Posada, and Rivera are even coming close to having respectable seasons, and there is no way I will ever accept that A-Rod, currently placing in only four major AL leader categories (he's third in walks), is worth $25.7 million a year. Not when he also lists above the fold in strikeouts (46) and caught-stealing (3, when he only has 6 successful steals???).
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Confidential to TGS :
> 1) Did too, between refills at the airport. It's not my fault you were too
> drunk off your ass to care.
Alright, wiseass, first off, there is a not insignificant difference between "to care" and "to comprehend".
> I was a little surprised you didn't make a bigger deal of it, though.
Well, next time, don't sneak it in around snipey comments about the crazy woman sitting next to me.
> Your response was, if I recall correctly, "WHAAAT?????!!! JEEEEEZUS
> CHRIST, give me that!"
No comment.
> (insert lunge for beer here.)
Talk to my lawyer. And get your own.
> 2. I did go to CVS yesterday and purchased a bright yellow, perfect
> storm-esque poncho for my backpack. You thought the plastic socks looked lame.
HA! HA! HA! What is the hip internet abbreviation for this? Oh, I know: LOFL!!!
> p.p.s. Are ya gonna let me know what it is first?
Hmmmmmmmmm... NO!
See, buddy, it's like this: you disappointed me while in search of (ahem), and so, unless and until I get a detailed report of (ahem), you don't get to know SHIT. ¿claro?
> 1) Did too, between refills at the airport. It's not my fault you were too
> drunk off your ass to care.
Alright, wiseass, first off, there is a not insignificant difference between "to care" and "to comprehend".
> I was a little surprised you didn't make a bigger deal of it, though.
Well, next time, don't sneak it in around snipey comments about the crazy woman sitting next to me.
> Your response was, if I recall correctly, "WHAAAT?????!!! JEEEEEZUS
> CHRIST, give me that!"
No comment.
> (insert lunge for beer here.)
Talk to my lawyer. And get your own.
> 2. I did go to CVS yesterday and purchased a bright yellow, perfect
> storm-esque poncho for my backpack. You thought the plastic socks looked lame.
HA! HA! HA! What is the hip internet abbreviation for this? Oh, I know: LOFL!!!
> p.p.s. Are ya gonna let me know what it is first?
Hmmmmmmmmm... NO!
See, buddy, it's like this: you disappointed me while in search of (ahem), and so, unless and until I get a detailed report of (ahem), you don't get to know SHIT. ¿claro?
Gale Force IPA!!!
Today we bottled our brew-on-premises beer, named Gale Force IPA. See, the recipe we used was called Trade Winds IPA, but, well, we ignored the specified hop bill (Goldings & Galena for bittering, Goldings for "Flavoring", Fuggles and Cascade for aroma, and more Fuggles and Cascade for dry hopping.) Instead, we used Centennial and Galena for bittering, Columbus and Centennial for flavoring, Centennial and Chinook for aroma, and Columbus and Cascade for dry hopping.
Now THAT'S a hop bill. Heh.
Oh, and we put in an intentionally excessive amount of malt extract and specialty grains.
Short story: it kicks ass. Good, good, good stuff. Which the faithful readers of this blog will have first access to, whether I already know you personally OR YOU ARE A LURKER. Just e-mail me, and we'll talk about beer transferance.
Today we bottled our brew-on-premises beer, named Gale Force IPA. See, the recipe we used was called Trade Winds IPA, but, well, we ignored the specified hop bill (Goldings & Galena for bittering, Goldings for "Flavoring", Fuggles and Cascade for aroma, and more Fuggles and Cascade for dry hopping.) Instead, we used Centennial and Galena for bittering, Columbus and Centennial for flavoring, Centennial and Chinook for aroma, and Columbus and Cascade for dry hopping.
Now THAT'S a hop bill. Heh.
Oh, and we put in an intentionally excessive amount of malt extract and specialty grains.
Short story: it kicks ass. Good, good, good stuff. Which the faithful readers of this blog will have first access to, whether I already know you personally OR YOU ARE A LURKER. Just e-mail me, and we'll talk about beer transferance.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Reader Poll
So, how do you all like (or not) my actually using capital letters to begin my sentences, and for most proper nouns? I decided it's somewhat more readable this way.
And for you lurkers, I know you're out there. This question is directed at you, as an easy way to tell me who you are. Find my email address at the bottom of this page in the links section, take out all extraneous characters, and respond immediately. Or I'll be upset.
So, how do you all like (or not) my actually using capital letters to begin my sentences, and for most proper nouns? I decided it's somewhat more readable this way.
And for you lurkers, I know you're out there. This question is directed at you, as an easy way to tell me who you are. Find my email address at the bottom of this page in the links section, take out all extraneous characters, and respond immediately. Or I'll be upset.
Confidential To The Good Senator:
1) You didn't tell me you were going to fucking florida.
2) But congrats on being smart enough to bring a raincoat. Did you know that raincoats are made for people who live in ridiculous, barely inhabitable areas, e.g., Seattle and Florida, that are actually completely waterproof? You know, the yellow rubber ones that make you look like an extra in the movie version of The Perfect Storm?
3) Have you noticed that our blogs increasingly are almost like an email exchange to one another, with occasional entertainment value for others?
p.s. You are NOT permitted to travel to Cuba until this storm passes. ¿claro?
p.p.s. I still haven't drunk your first present. But I might soon. Like tonight. yum. I'll let you know how it is.
1) You didn't tell me you were going to fucking florida.
2) But congrats on being smart enough to bring a raincoat. Did you know that raincoats are made for people who live in ridiculous, barely inhabitable areas, e.g., Seattle and Florida, that are actually completely waterproof? You know, the yellow rubber ones that make you look like an extra in the movie version of The Perfect Storm?
3) Have you noticed that our blogs increasingly are almost like an email exchange to one another, with occasional entertainment value for others?
p.s. You are NOT permitted to travel to Cuba until this storm passes. ¿claro?
p.p.s. I still haven't drunk your first present. But I might soon. Like tonight. yum. I'll let you know how it is.
a funny thing happened on my way back home
Well, besides my getting violently airsick on the AcK flight into Seattle. What happened is this: I had a bomber of Elysian Immortal (confidential to TGS: no, this WASN'T your present), that I decided to transfer to a gatorade bottle solely because it was less prone to breakage in my carry-on. Ahem.
Anyway, it just so happens that it was an orange flavor gatorade bottle, which, while it was a lovely color match, imparted a rather bizarre orange flavor. I can't say, however, that it was altogether unpleasant, and now, two days later, I'm drinking it out of the fridge and rather enjoying it, even though it's as flat as a pancake. It's quite a bit like Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale, actually. (Notably, the Immortal is a pretty lame IPA to begin with, so the orange flavor really didn't have a meaningful hop profile to compete with.)
Ahhhhh. Guess I should put the Elysian Pumpkin ale in the fridge for tonight's drinking (and no, TGS, that wasn't it, either. So neehh.)
Well, besides my getting violently airsick on the AcK flight into Seattle. What happened is this: I had a bomber of Elysian Immortal (confidential to TGS: no, this WASN'T your present), that I decided to transfer to a gatorade bottle solely because it was less prone to breakage in my carry-on. Ahem.
Anyway, it just so happens that it was an orange flavor gatorade bottle, which, while it was a lovely color match, imparted a rather bizarre orange flavor. I can't say, however, that it was altogether unpleasant, and now, two days later, I'm drinking it out of the fridge and rather enjoying it, even though it's as flat as a pancake. It's quite a bit like Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale, actually. (Notably, the Immortal is a pretty lame IPA to begin with, so the orange flavor really didn't have a meaningful hop profile to compete with.)
Ahhhhh. Guess I should put the Elysian Pumpkin ale in the fridge for tonight's drinking (and no, TGS, that wasn't it, either. So neehh.)
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
back from ak
two more pleasant first class flights (no, we didn't pay for them, we used miles) on AcK Airlines. typically, the first flight (ANC-SEA) was late, for two entirely different sets of stated reasons. at check-in, and only after inquiring, i was told it was potentially delayed to accommodate late-arriving passengers on another flight(s). then at the gate, it was annouced to be late just so that mechanics could check one little thing. i was left to wonder if AcK Airlines employees are just told to make up whatever will sound best at the moment.
and actually, the end of the first flight wasn't so pleasant: i was hit with apparent airsickess for only the second time in my life. (the first being when A was taking, ahem, liberties with the two-seater Piper Cherokee he was flying me around in in Massachusetts.) that first time wasn't bad, however, since i followed the directions on the airsickness bag, which told me to focus on the farthest away stationaryt thing i could. within about ten seconds, i felt better. yesterday, however, i woke up from drowsing/napping, and felt the violent need to go to the bathroom. while sitting on the toilet in the ridiculously cramped forward lav ont he 737-400, i was suddently glad for how tiny it was, since i broke into a complete body sweat, and sort of collapsed against the wall. within a few minutes, they announced we were in our final descent into seattle, so i had to struggle out.
we arrived home via a ride from mom's brand spanking new hyundai elantra 5-door hatchback, and i read for a while, then promptly went to sleep, with directions to J to not wake me up in the morning. i slept soundly until 11 this morning, finished my book, and caught the last few innings of the excellent Cubs -- Blue Jays game.
the book, Fortunate's Rocks, by Anita Shreve, reminded me repeatedly of Dar Williams' lyrics from the unfortunately named song "Teenagers Kick Our Butts":
"We read junk novels on the plane..."
the book itself was fine, reasonably interesting, and an easy bit of intellectual junk food. i think Shreve was attempting to sympathetically discuss class consciousness at the turn of the 20th century, and in this she failed except for those who might be completely unable to do any bit of historical or class analysis. but it was an entertaining novel, albeit with an outrageously trite ending, which seems to be Shreve's forte. (i won't indulge myself in spoiling it, unless you want me to. e-mail me for details.)
two more pleasant first class flights (no, we didn't pay for them, we used miles) on AcK Airlines. typically, the first flight (ANC-SEA) was late, for two entirely different sets of stated reasons. at check-in, and only after inquiring, i was told it was potentially delayed to accommodate late-arriving passengers on another flight(s). then at the gate, it was annouced to be late just so that mechanics could check one little thing. i was left to wonder if AcK Airlines employees are just told to make up whatever will sound best at the moment.
and actually, the end of the first flight wasn't so pleasant: i was hit with apparent airsickess for only the second time in my life. (the first being when A was taking, ahem, liberties with the two-seater Piper Cherokee he was flying me around in in Massachusetts.) that first time wasn't bad, however, since i followed the directions on the airsickness bag, which told me to focus on the farthest away stationaryt thing i could. within about ten seconds, i felt better. yesterday, however, i woke up from drowsing/napping, and felt the violent need to go to the bathroom. while sitting on the toilet in the ridiculously cramped forward lav ont he 737-400, i was suddently glad for how tiny it was, since i broke into a complete body sweat, and sort of collapsed against the wall. within a few minutes, they announced we were in our final descent into seattle, so i had to struggle out.
we arrived home via a ride from mom's brand spanking new hyundai elantra 5-door hatchback, and i read for a while, then promptly went to sleep, with directions to J to not wake me up in the morning. i slept soundly until 11 this morning, finished my book, and caught the last few innings of the excellent Cubs -- Blue Jays game.
the book, Fortunate's Rocks, by Anita Shreve, reminded me repeatedly of Dar Williams' lyrics from the unfortunately named song "Teenagers Kick Our Butts":
"We read junk novels on the plane..."
the book itself was fine, reasonably interesting, and an easy bit of intellectual junk food. i think Shreve was attempting to sympathetically discuss class consciousness at the turn of the 20th century, and in this she failed except for those who might be completely unable to do any bit of historical or class analysis. but it was an entertaining novel, albeit with an outrageously trite ending, which seems to be Shreve's forte. (i won't indulge myself in spoiling it, unless you want me to. e-mail me for details.)
Monday, June 06, 2005
beer and midnight sun
Saturday:
lunch at Bear Tooth: IPA
bus to airport, picked up rental car
drove to Valley
Regal Eagle in Eagle River looks nasty, changed, and so effectively closed (signs advertising Bud Select and Becks as beer specials)
lunch/early dinner at Great Brear in Wah-hah-sillo-ay: excellent Beary Strong (8% raspberry strong ale), decent Big Su Strong Ale (8%), excellent if slightly sweet Three Bruins Tripel, excellent Arskigger Scottish Ale (8%).
dinner & drinks at Moose's Tooth: '02 barleywine, then Cask IPA, then '03 barleywine
Sunday: samplers at Homer Brewing Co., bought half gallon soda bottle (best growler vessel EVER) of special Oatmeal Stout ($13 total)
lunch at Finn's pizza on Homer Spit, pint of Homber Brewing Company's Broken Birch Bitter (plus some Oatmeal Stout in the car)
dinner was picnic style in the car, cheese, onion, and mustard sandwiches from Safeway (plus a swig)
Monday: planned journey out to Midnight Sun BC to sample the wares, likely dinner at Moose's Tooth
Tuesday: likely lunch at Orzo, or, gosh, Glacier is right next door...
then flight home.
Saturday:
lunch at Bear Tooth: IPA
bus to airport, picked up rental car
drove to Valley
Regal Eagle in Eagle River looks nasty, changed, and so effectively closed (signs advertising Bud Select and Becks as beer specials)
lunch/early dinner at Great Brear in Wah-hah-sillo-ay: excellent Beary Strong (8% raspberry strong ale), decent Big Su Strong Ale (8%), excellent if slightly sweet Three Bruins Tripel, excellent Arskigger Scottish Ale (8%).
dinner & drinks at Moose's Tooth: '02 barleywine, then Cask IPA, then '03 barleywine
Sunday: samplers at Homer Brewing Co., bought half gallon soda bottle (best growler vessel EVER) of special Oatmeal Stout ($13 total)
lunch at Finn's pizza on Homer Spit, pint of Homber Brewing Company's Broken Birch Bitter (plus some Oatmeal Stout in the car)
dinner was picnic style in the car, cheese, onion, and mustard sandwiches from Safeway (plus a swig)
Monday: planned journey out to Midnight Sun BC to sample the wares, likely dinner at Moose's Tooth
Tuesday: likely lunch at Orzo, or, gosh, Glacier is right next door...
then flight home.
beer and airports
i would have blogged about it myself, but The Good Senator managed to describe our airport beer escapade with one of the best posts ever. so i don't have to.
i would have blogged about it myself, but The Good Senator managed to describe our airport beer escapade with one of the best posts ever. so i don't have to.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
wastin' away in Anchoraguaville
lookin' for, maaaahhyyy lost pint of beer.
it's been good to us. we've been to Glacier three times. the best thing is is a Cask IPA, and boy, is it a doosie. dry hopped with Crytsal and Amarillo, and it's a damn work of art. the standard IPA is also solidly drinkable, and the Jim Beam Bock is decent, but underwhelming.
Snow Goose has the same extraordinary views as always, though the beer hasn't been that amazing in two visits. the cask is Urban Wilderness (pale ale), and is pleasant, but just not in the same class as the Glacier cask.
Humpy Dumpy is pretty much nasty and smoky, as always, and the tap list just isn't that amazing for someone who lives in california; it's definitely not worth dealing with the repulsive smoke.
Humpy's sister bar, Sub Zero, is chic as all get out, and has a pretty extraordinary list of Belgians in bottles (i drank a lovely Roquefort 8, $12.50 for a well poured 333ml bottle in proper glassware). J had Chimay on tap, which was nice, and there were lovely free appetizers for First Friday, the downtown art opening. (their exhibit was the winners of the Anchorage Press' Post-It Note Art Contest.
we walked to Spenard and peered in on the Bear Tooth, but the movie availbility was weak, so we'll wait for beer until Moose's Tooth tomorrow, when we have a rental car.
speaking of tomorrow, we're thinking about waking up a little early for the farmer's market across the parking lot (i'll be on the lookout for nagoonberries), then picking up the car, after lunching at La Mex in Spenard (the downtown location is closed!). then we'll probably make a trip to the valley and Great Bear, and eyeball the ever-elusive Regal Eagle on the way back through Eagle River.
YUM!
lookin' for, maaaahhyyy lost pint of beer.
it's been good to us. we've been to Glacier three times. the best thing is is a Cask IPA, and boy, is it a doosie. dry hopped with Crytsal and Amarillo, and it's a damn work of art. the standard IPA is also solidly drinkable, and the Jim Beam Bock is decent, but underwhelming.
Snow Goose has the same extraordinary views as always, though the beer hasn't been that amazing in two visits. the cask is Urban Wilderness (pale ale), and is pleasant, but just not in the same class as the Glacier cask.
Humpy Dumpy is pretty much nasty and smoky, as always, and the tap list just isn't that amazing for someone who lives in california; it's definitely not worth dealing with the repulsive smoke.
Humpy's sister bar, Sub Zero, is chic as all get out, and has a pretty extraordinary list of Belgians in bottles (i drank a lovely Roquefort 8, $12.50 for a well poured 333ml bottle in proper glassware). J had Chimay on tap, which was nice, and there were lovely free appetizers for First Friday, the downtown art opening. (their exhibit was the winners of the Anchorage Press' Post-It Note Art Contest.
we walked to Spenard and peered in on the Bear Tooth, but the movie availbility was weak, so we'll wait for beer until Moose's Tooth tomorrow, when we have a rental car.
speaking of tomorrow, we're thinking about waking up a little early for the farmer's market across the parking lot (i'll be on the lookout for nagoonberries), then picking up the car, after lunching at La Mex in Spenard (the downtown location is closed!). then we'll probably make a trip to the valley and Great Bear, and eyeball the ever-elusive Regal Eagle on the way back through Eagle River.
YUM!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
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