1 package "Gourmet Baker" Buttermilk Crumpets
6 tablespoons horseradish
1 dozen large basil leaves
2 tomatoes
1 cup grated cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to two hundred fifty degrees.
Coarsely chop the basil into strips. This can be best accomplished by gathering the basil into a bunch then chopping from one end to another. A single chopping pass should be all that is required.
The crumpets can be toasted if desired. I prefer untoasted.
Slice the tomatoes then cut each slice in half. If the tomatoes slices are not cut in half the final product will be difficult to eat as the tomato slides around on top of the crumpet.
After arranging the crumpets on a cookie sheet, evenly distribute the horseradish, then the basil, between them. The tomatoes go on next. The cheese is put on top so that is can melt over everything, holding it in place.
Place the cookie sheet with crumpets in the oven.
The crumpets will be done when the cheese is fully melted. This should take fifteen to twenty minutes. Some people prefer that the cheese be given time to run off the crumpet onto the cookie sheet where it will start to bubble. Letting it get to this point will cause the cheese on the cookie sheet to become crispy after it has cooled. To some, this is desirable and so both ways should eventually be tried to discover which you prefer.
Pepper may be sprinkled on top after removing from the oven.
Allow to cool slightly, then enjoy.
11.29.2006
11.27.2006
North Idaho and Snow
I had a lovely visit to Sandpoint. There was a two-turkey thanksgiving dinner that brought my personal holiday turkey count to three. Lots of food and visiting. I got to see the downtown area. It has changed quite dramatically from when I was there over a decade ago. It was also helpful to have a tour guide that grew up in the town.
Just a few days before leaving it started to snow. It was still snowing when the train pulled out of the station and headed back to Seattle. It snowed all the way from Sandpoint to Seattle. Once we were finally in Seattle proper it stopped snowing. Then it started snowing. Now there is an inch of snow on the ground. Snow provides the opportunity to be simultaneously subjected to the two worst states of being: cold and wet.
Tomorrow I have a load of lumber to recycle. With only three days left in the month, I'm worried that I won't be able to reach the three hundred pound mark.
Just a few days before leaving it started to snow. It was still snowing when the train pulled out of the station and headed back to Seattle. It snowed all the way from Sandpoint to Seattle. Once we were finally in Seattle proper it stopped snowing. Then it started snowing. Now there is an inch of snow on the ground. Snow provides the opportunity to be simultaneously subjected to the two worst states of being: cold and wet.
Tomorrow I have a load of lumber to recycle. With only three days left in the month, I'm worried that I won't be able to reach the three hundred pound mark.
11.21.2006
Raw Fish
Sushi is not is readily available in Idaho. Sure there are some upscale places in the major population center where a craving for raw fish can be satisfied. In Boise these places are few and position themselves as wild and exotic. Contrast this with Seattle where the streets are practically paved with tuna and albacore. I suppose my disappointment in Idaho's lack of priorities in this area put me in the liberal elite category. Always part of the problem, never part of the solution. If I really cared I would buy salmon at the market and ship it to ranchers in Pocatello.
It was a low key day that I eased into with a bit of drum practice on my snooze button. I finally pulled myself out of bed and snored my way through a workout at the gym. It was an unusually warm morning and I should have gone running. I Ran some errands in Redmond then topped the day off with a boatload of sushi.
Another twenty pounds of flotsam was removed. Among the items donated or thrown away: A few hundred feet of ethernet cable and phone cord, two(2) five year old DSL modems and half a dozen playstation 2 games. One of the benefits of disposing of so much stuff is the free closet space that is created. I was able to reorganize and piles of stuff left the office floor and is out of sight behind closed doors.
Two hundred twenty pounds down and eighty pounds to go.
It was a low key day that I eased into with a bit of drum practice on my snooze button. I finally pulled myself out of bed and snored my way through a workout at the gym. It was an unusually warm morning and I should have gone running. I Ran some errands in Redmond then topped the day off with a boatload of sushi.
Another twenty pounds of flotsam was removed. Among the items donated or thrown away: A few hundred feet of ethernet cable and phone cord, two(2) five year old DSL modems and half a dozen playstation 2 games. One of the benefits of disposing of so much stuff is the free closet space that is created. I was able to reorganize and piles of stuff left the office floor and is out of sight behind closed doors.
Two hundred twenty pounds down and eighty pounds to go.
11.19.2006
Parental Visitation
I just arrived in Seattle, back from visiting my parents. It was too short of a visit to have done anything terribly exciting. Boise is colder than Seattle this time of year, so there was not much that I would have wanted to do outside the house. Still, we were all able to amuse ourselves and enjoy each others company. We played Scrabble and walked around downtown browsing the shops. Of course we also had copious amounts of food. Thanksgiving was even moved to today so we could enjoy it with each other. Before boarding the plane we feasted on turkey, green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes and chocolate chip cookies.
My nephew was with us the whole time. I see him only when I see my parents and so it is interesting to note his developmental changes between visits. This time he was walking and talking and had excellent comprehension. I wonder if each incremental change is noticable to those who are around him all the time or if I notice them more because there are such larger gaps between visits.
Tomorrow should be a busy day full of errands and packing as preparations are made for the next trip.
My nephew was with us the whole time. I see him only when I see my parents and so it is interesting to note his developmental changes between visits. This time he was walking and talking and had excellent comprehension. I wonder if each incremental change is noticable to those who are around him all the time or if I notice them more because there are such larger gaps between visits.
Tomorrow should be a busy day full of errands and packing as preparations are made for the next trip.
11.16.2006
Just a Day
Today was simply a day. Pie was baked, games were played and sandwiches were made. I packed a little for the trip to Boise. The evening was spent in the company of friends. We watched TV and ate fried chicken and caramel apple pie. It was quite the all American dinner. No communists here.
11.14.2006
Vacation from Vacation
Preparations are coming to completion for the upcoming travels. Arrangements have been made for the first leg. The only snag is that we are unable to find someone to come in to look after the cats during the second leg of the journey. Trying to hire a professional petsitter this close to a major holiday is nigh impossible. We will have to look to amateurs in the field to fulfill our needs. Is it callous to leave one's beloved pets in the hands of those who have not undergone the extensive and rigorous training required to be a professional catsitter? I hope not.
The current total weight discarded is now an even two hundred pounds. The fourty four pound jump was made possible by disposing of a number of satchels that I no longer use and also some jigsaw puzzles that were assembled a decade ago and have not had their boxes opened since. Progress towards the three hundred pound goal seems to be good, but I am worried that the upcoming time spent away from home will slow my efforts and the project at risk.
Lunch was taken in Bothell with some friends who work in that area. There is a pub that that serves alchoholic beverages and a variety of grilled or fried foods. When the burger with gorgonzola arrived my fingers were greasy from merely touching the plate it rested on. It was delicious.
I have been promised that a pie will be made tomorrow. I look forward to caramel-appley goodness.
The current total weight discarded is now an even two hundred pounds. The fourty four pound jump was made possible by disposing of a number of satchels that I no longer use and also some jigsaw puzzles that were assembled a decade ago and have not had their boxes opened since. Progress towards the three hundred pound goal seems to be good, but I am worried that the upcoming time spent away from home will slow my efforts and the project at risk.
Lunch was taken in Bothell with some friends who work in that area. There is a pub that that serves alchoholic beverages and a variety of grilled or fried foods. When the burger with gorgonzola arrived my fingers were greasy from merely touching the plate it rested on. It was delicious.
I have been promised that a pie will be made tomorrow. I look forward to caramel-appley goodness.
11.13.2006
Side Project
Since I am on vacation and my time does not belong to a large corporation I have taken the opportunity to work on some side programming projects. The basics of a spelling game are now in place and I spent a bit of time today playing with what I made. I am not sure if it is because I have not been working on the project for very long, or if I just like spelling games, but it is a lot of fun. There is still quite a lot of work to do before it is polished, but what I have is definitely a start. I need to take more vacations so that I can get even more work done.
The travel portion of the vacation is fast approaching. Half a week will be spent in southern Idaho before coming home for a day before going to northen Idaho for close to a week. Many relatives will be visited.
I have been slacking on my workout regimen. I have neither gone to the gym nor gone for a run these last four days. With a bunch of travelling coming up there will be even less opportunity for self improvement. I must get myself out of the house tomorrow for some physical activity.
The travel portion of the vacation is fast approaching. Half a week will be spent in southern Idaho before coming home for a day before going to northen Idaho for close to a week. Many relatives will be visited.
I have been slacking on my workout regimen. I have neither gone to the gym nor gone for a run these last four days. With a bunch of travelling coming up there will be even less opportunity for self improvement. I must get myself out of the house tomorrow for some physical activity.
I Am Not a Good Blogger
Only a week and a half in and I have missed two posts. In a row. Historians will scratch their heads when they try to reconstruct these two days of my life. I will try to summarize here so biographers to come have clues about what has transpired these last three days.
More books and CDs were given away. There are two major second hand book chains in town. One is picky about what it takes but gives more credit in return, the other takes everything but gives much less. So the former gets whatever books of mine they want while the latter is left to sift through the dregs. The weight total for objects removed from the house is now one hundred fifty six pounds. This means I am halfway to my goal. Which I suppose is appropriate since the month is halfway over.
I joined a group of friends for a Saturday outing to the theater. We saw a stage adaptation of some of H.P. Lovecraft's stories. Open Circle Theater consistently does a good job bringing these stories to life and should be lauded for their efforts.
Today's efforts were spent on programming and leisure. I have been so occupied with electronic entertainment that I have mostly ignored the physical needs of my body. With that in mind, I bid a fond adieu to the blogosphere and hie myself to the kitchen for reheated leftovers.
More books and CDs were given away. There are two major second hand book chains in town. One is picky about what it takes but gives more credit in return, the other takes everything but gives much less. So the former gets whatever books of mine they want while the latter is left to sift through the dregs. The weight total for objects removed from the house is now one hundred fifty six pounds. This means I am halfway to my goal. Which I suppose is appropriate since the month is halfway over.
I joined a group of friends for a Saturday outing to the theater. We saw a stage adaptation of some of H.P. Lovecraft's stories. Open Circle Theater consistently does a good job bringing these stories to life and should be lauded for their efforts.
Today's efforts were spent on programming and leisure. I have been so occupied with electronic entertainment that I have mostly ignored the physical needs of my body. With that in mind, I bid a fond adieu to the blogosphere and hie myself to the kitchen for reheated leftovers.
11.10.2006
As the Gears Turn
I have only played it for an hour, but I can confidently say that Gears of War is a magnificent game. The future of video gaming is bulging veins and cooperative mode. One of the best gaming nights ever was spent playing Halo on a friends XBOX, start to finish, over the course of a christmas weekend. Gears of War has a minimal set of features, but it executes each one with confidence and layers cooperative mode on top of it. Playing with a friend on the other side of a network connection makes every accomplishment even more poignant. It doesn't matter if you are laughing at the dialog together or quietly dispatching hordes of enemies, sharing dramatic experiences is a type of fun that can not be replicated through solitary gameplay.
I am sticking to my weight loss program. Today I donated a number of clothing items and quite a lot of old computing gear. I removed a total of seventy four pounds from my life. The total is now one hundred thirty nine pounds. I am almost halfway there.
This morning I spent some quality time with a Windows XP boot disc and an afflicted laptop. The introductions were brief, and the disc and the sick laptop quickly became fast friends. They were quite smitten with each other. The relationship was speedily consumated and the computer is up and running again. There is also now an external hard disc to backup data so that these sorts of problems will be less stressful in the future.
I am sticking to my weight loss program. Today I donated a number of clothing items and quite a lot of old computing gear. I removed a total of seventy four pounds from my life. The total is now one hundred thirty nine pounds. I am almost halfway there.
This morning I spent some quality time with a Windows XP boot disc and an afflicted laptop. The introductions were brief, and the disc and the sick laptop quickly became fast friends. They were quite smitten with each other. The relationship was speedily consumated and the computer is up and running again. There is also now an external hard disc to backup data so that these sorts of problems will be less stressful in the future.
11.08.2006
New Pants!
A wonderful, kind and loving friend of mine helped me immensely by repairing a number of pairs of pants that had fallen into disuse. Either because of holes, missing buttons or inappropriate hemming the pants were unusable or made me look like a fool when I wore them. No more! Now they are impeccable and I shall be the envy of all men when they see me in my new pants!
The weather was hospitable this morning, so I woke myself up with a lovely run. With the colder temperatures it takes a bit longer to get warmed up. I suppose the slower pace at the beginning lets me enjoy the scenery more. I suppose.
A computer in the household has come down with a malady. Hear me, UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME. Go back to whence you came and bother us no more.
I'm taking some old computers in to be recycled tomorrow.
The weather was hospitable this morning, so I woke myself up with a lovely run. With the colder temperatures it takes a bit longer to get warmed up. I suppose the slower pace at the beginning lets me enjoy the scenery more. I suppose.
A computer in the household has come down with a malady. Hear me, UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME. Go back to whence you came and bother us no more.
I'm taking some old computers in to be recycled tomorrow.
Revolutionay Weight Loss Program
I started the morning with a refreshing workout at the gym. All this vacationing allows me much more time for self improvement. It has also given me more time at home which has opened my eyes to all the extraneous stuff just taking up space. It's time for a change. I will be divesting myself of years of accumulated dross. No more will there be shirts in the closet, unworn for years. Gone will be the obsolete computers that haven't been turned on since the last presidential administration.
As a measure of my progress I will track the aggregate weight of all discarded items. I will grandfather the clothing and books that were disposed of last week. This brings me to roughly sixty-five pounds. A goal of three hundred pounds by the end of the month seems modest and within my ability to accomplish. If TV were in charge, people would have to eat Subway sandwiches to lose that much weight.
Guitar Hero II is fabulous. Much of the day was spent pretending to be a rockstar.
Finally, the Democratic party is gaining steam and is poised to take back congress. I feel like my favorite, down-on-their-luck sports team is staging a comeback.
As a measure of my progress I will track the aggregate weight of all discarded items. I will grandfather the clothing and books that were disposed of last week. This brings me to roughly sixty-five pounds. A goal of three hundred pounds by the end of the month seems modest and within my ability to accomplish. If TV were in charge, people would have to eat Subway sandwiches to lose that much weight.
Guitar Hero II is fabulous. Much of the day was spent pretending to be a rockstar.
Finally, the Democratic party is gaining steam and is poised to take back congress. I feel like my favorite, down-on-their-luck sports team is staging a comeback.
11.07.2006
Day of Rest
Today was an official day of rest. I did not exert myself one iota. I played video games, watched TV, went to a movie. It was as though after five days of vacationing I was worn out and needed a rest. Maybe I was just saving up my energy for tomorrow. Election day and Guitar Hero II. I think that releasing Guitar Hero II on election day must be a government plot to suppress the wannabe-rocker swing vote.
11.05.2006
Dinner With Other People's Parents
The odyssee continues. Today brought me to Magnolia. You'll never find a more wretched hive of dull suburbia. As a neighboorhood it simply has nothing to offer. Unless, I suppose, you are in the business of accepting acres upon acres of residential zoning.
Not being married or having divorced parents, I am inexperienced at the finer aspects of having in-laws. Tonight's dinner was hosted by a friend's father. Father's fiancee was also in attendance. I think I can appreciate everyone's position. Fiancee wants to be liked by her soon to be sons-in-law (but doesn't quite know how to relate to them). Soon to be sons-in-law want father to be happy(but don't have any interest in relating to fiancee). Father would just like everyone to get along (and maybe make it through dinner without bloodshed).
This is how I imagine everyone at the table is feeling. But after starting dinner on an empty stomach and going through a few bottles of wine I suppose what you get is more like what I had a front row seat for. Not that it was bad. Indeed our hosts were most gracious and I am grateful to them for having me over. The wine was good, I wasn't driving, and the young people at the table were able to have their own conversations above and around any unrest that might have been taking place.
Seattle weather continues to astound. The morning was clear and sunny and the perfect temperature for a run through the arboretum. The weather held long enough to get in a brisk walk down to the local pho restauranteur without getting soaked. It did not hold long enough to get home.
Not being married or having divorced parents, I am inexperienced at the finer aspects of having in-laws. Tonight's dinner was hosted by a friend's father. Father's fiancee was also in attendance. I think I can appreciate everyone's position. Fiancee wants to be liked by her soon to be sons-in-law (but doesn't quite know how to relate to them). Soon to be sons-in-law want father to be happy(but don't have any interest in relating to fiancee). Father would just like everyone to get along (and maybe make it through dinner without bloodshed).
This is how I imagine everyone at the table is feeling. But after starting dinner on an empty stomach and going through a few bottles of wine I suppose what you get is more like what I had a front row seat for. Not that it was bad. Indeed our hosts were most gracious and I am grateful to them for having me over. The wine was good, I wasn't driving, and the young people at the table were able to have their own conversations above and around any unrest that might have been taking place.
Seattle weather continues to astound. The morning was clear and sunny and the perfect temperature for a run through the arboretum. The weather held long enough to get in a brisk walk down to the local pho restauranteur without getting soaked. It did not hold long enough to get home.
11.04.2006
And Work it Side to Side
A lovely trip to Renton netted me my five dollar chunk of plastic and metal. Returning home I spent a half hour trying to wedge it into the computer. In between bouts of the computer failing to boot and being convinced I had broken one thing or another I finally determined that the lump of metal and plastic was not in fact what I needed. Fully engaging my looking skills, I discovered that the new video card I purchased had indeed come with the necessary hunk of plastic and metal and the video card was installed in short order. My trip to Renton was at least productive in that I was able to collect two hundred dollars worth of DVD televisions shows for a friend of mine.
This morning found me at the gym for a refreshing upper body workout. There was some sort of energetic step arobics class going on while I was there. Indeed, you could hear the woman leading the class from any point in the building. She was a consumate liar, promising her class just "one more" for the better part of an hour.
The rest of the day was spent on video games, movies and television. However, the entertainment was enjoyable and was viewed in good company so I cannot say that it wasn't time well spent.
This morning found me at the gym for a refreshing upper body workout. There was some sort of energetic step arobics class going on while I was there. Indeed, you could hear the woman leading the class from any point in the building. She was a consumate liar, promising her class just "one more" for the better part of an hour.
The rest of the day was spent on video games, movies and television. However, the entertainment was enjoyable and was viewed in good company so I cannot say that it wasn't time well spent.
11.03.2006
SOTA payments
It seems that the curse of the PC is again upon me. Every few years I try to eke out another little bit of life from my desktop. Memory is upgraded. Hard disks are expanded. Maybe I try to get that horrible rattling sound to stop by opening up the case and blowing the dust around. This comes as no suprise. It is not some great revelation. Everyone is familiar with the process. Today I made the trek to my electronics purveyor of choice and acquired the bleeding edge in video card technology. Tomorrow I will return to said purveyor to purchase a five dollar bit of metal and plastic that will allow me to shoehorn the bleeding edge into my obsolete one year old machine.
Work continues apace on my programming projects. This is not a terribly exciting bit of news but it did consume a fair portion of my day.
I discovered Snohomish! A coworker and friend of a friend live there and I joined them for a lovely dinner and some lively conversation. I am fairly certain everyone had a good time. Especially the little girls who ate halloween candy and used a stranger's presence as an excuse to stay up two hours past their bedtime.
Work continues apace on my programming projects. This is not a terribly exciting bit of news but it did consume a fair portion of my day.
I discovered Snohomish! A coworker and friend of a friend live there and I joined them for a lovely dinner and some lively conversation. I am fairly certain everyone had a good time. Especially the little girls who ate halloween candy and used a stranger's presence as an excuse to stay up two hours past their bedtime.
11.02.2006
On Games
November is a magical month for those who enjoy video games. It's the time of year when publishing companies release the blockbuster titles they hope will pull them through the holiday season. As an election year it is especially exciting. Microsoft and Sony are each sponsoring a candidate. Every dollar we spend is a ballot. The winner will assume the office of dominant marketshare with a term of six years.
There is also Nintendo. Nintendo is the Green Party. They field a likeable candidate, but only those with a tenuous grasp on reality expect them to win.
Today started with a run that was less brisk than the weather. I visited the great city of Bothell and was startled to realize how close to Redmond it truly is. Just a quick jaunt through Woodinville and you're there.
Complaint: Why does Seattle suffer a dearth of quality Mongolian Grill? The small town of Moscow has a stupendous grilling establishment. The great metropolis of Seattle can't seem to figure out what should be a simple equation. Provide your customers with a multitude of vegetables, meat and sauces to heap into a bowl. Then cook it for them.
A task was started and completed on a programming side project. A video game was played. A video game was bought. Video games were pre-ordered (a task I find loathsome but it seems to be the only way of guaranteeing purchase of the game in a timely manner).
Although the weathermen are against me, I hope the rain will break for an hour tomorrow so that I can walk to the frame store and retrieve a piece I left with them.
There is also Nintendo. Nintendo is the Green Party. They field a likeable candidate, but only those with a tenuous grasp on reality expect them to win.
Today started with a run that was less brisk than the weather. I visited the great city of Bothell and was startled to realize how close to Redmond it truly is. Just a quick jaunt through Woodinville and you're there.
Complaint: Why does Seattle suffer a dearth of quality Mongolian Grill? The small town of Moscow has a stupendous grilling establishment. The great metropolis of Seattle can't seem to figure out what should be a simple equation. Provide your customers with a multitude of vegetables, meat and sauces to heap into a bowl. Then cook it for them.
A task was started and completed on a programming side project. A video game was played. A video game was bought. Video games were pre-ordered (a task I find loathsome but it seems to be the only way of guaranteeing purchase of the game in a timely manner).
Although the weathermen are against me, I hope the rain will break for an hour tomorrow so that I can walk to the frame store and retrieve a piece I left with them.
First Day of Vacationing
Quite the busy day today. It is an auspicious start to what I hope will prove to be a productive period of time away from the office.
I am quite enjoying this chronicling of my exploits. Taking a moment to sit and collect one's thoughts at the end of the day can provide significant personal insights. You might ask, "What insights?" I would reply, "Personal ones."
Today, in no particular order, I lifted weights at the gym, took a print to be framed at the shop where they do the framing, traveled to the land of cheap semi-disposable Swedish furniture, dropped off fifty pounds of clothing and other sundries at the thrift store and went to the second-hand bookstore to trade some books I have read for some books that I haven't. I had a nice dinner and spent a number of hours reading and watching Stargate. The adventures of Jack O'Neill and his merry band are continually entertaining.
I also have a friend who makes a mean hot schnocolate.
I am quite enjoying this chronicling of my exploits. Taking a moment to sit and collect one's thoughts at the end of the day can provide significant personal insights. You might ask, "What insights?" I would reply, "Personal ones."
Today, in no particular order, I lifted weights at the gym, took a print to be framed at the shop where they do the framing, traveled to the land of cheap semi-disposable Swedish furniture, dropped off fifty pounds of clothing and other sundries at the thrift store and went to the second-hand bookstore to trade some books I have read for some books that I haven't. I had a nice dinner and spent a number of hours reading and watching Stargate. The adventures of Jack O'Neill and his merry band are continually entertaining.
I also have a friend who makes a mean hot schnocolate.
10.31.2006
I'm a Blog
Weblogs and diaries without regular updates are just web-pages and short stories. This post grabs hold of this simple collection of html and catapults it into the blogosphere. From these heady heights I feel as though I can see the whole world before me, the future laid out like a patchwork field. I can see the paths of destiny and know that I may travel upon whichever I choose.
My vacationing officially starts tomorrow. I have created a list of tasks to set myself about. There are errands to be run, trips to plan and couches to loaf upon. Spontaneity has been meticulously planned.
Currently reading Shadowrun: A Fistful of Data by Stephen Dedman
[edited to fix typo. thanks "me"]
My vacationing officially starts tomorrow. I have created a list of tasks to set myself about. There are errands to be run, trips to plan and couches to loaf upon. Spontaneity has been meticulously planned.
Currently reading Shadowrun: A Fistful of Data by Stephen Dedman
[edited to fix typo. thanks "me"]
10.30.2006
Inception
I am about to have the entire month of November away from the tribulations of employment. I fear that such a vast expanse of time will be squandered if I am left without some sort of accountability. To that end I have had the gnomes at Blogger create for me a blog, which I will use to document my exploits for the month of November, 2006.