tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209485992024-03-13T22:25:06.613-08:00Penny's WorldLife is too short for drama & petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quicklyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.comBlogger349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-82761350980437564952014-10-01T23:30:00.000-08:002014-11-09T00:54:09.197-09:00Transfer for Two and A Real BeerWe didn't brew over the weekend. Nor did we bottle or transfer. So some of that has to happen tonight, since Greg is going to be out of town for the next brew. (I'm drafting Jeannea to help me out.)<br />
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We transferred both brews (the apple and number 3) to a secondary. This weekend, we'll transfer them both to bottles. The apple will then go on a shelf and age until at least Thanksgiving, while beer number 3 should have just enough time to carbonate. The goal is to have two or three of the beers ready for our Halloween party, which is October 25th. Looks like we'll for sure have two, and possibly a third (if all goes well for beer number 4).<br />
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I was concerned about getting the apples out of the carboy after transferring the beer. Thanks to Greg's efforts, the carboy is now clean and awaiting its next use. It was a tedious process, involving the carboy cleaning brush, water, holding the bottle at a tilt, and then just lots of time. If this turns out any good and we decide to make it again, I'm definitely going to cut the apples into smaller chunks - it's highly likely I'll just dice them and not worry about chunks at all.<br />
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Beer number three (the fuller of the two carboys) will be transferred to bottles in a couple of days, so it has time to carbonate. The apple beer can go at the same time or else sit in secondary longer, to allow more sediment to settle out (or just because we're short on time - I've been assured that it won't hurt anything).<br />
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Tonight we also pulled out a bottle of Number One to test. I was glad to see that it's carbonated now. (The first bottle we tried, a week after bottling, was still flat. I was sure that the whole batch was ruined.) Apparently, it takes longer to carbonate in bigger bottles. Since that's mainly what I used, it would have been better not to try one at all the first week. In knowing this, I think I'll stick to the smaller 12 ounce bottles for the next beers. In the picture above, Greg used the light from his camera to better show the tiny bubbles of carbonation (if you click to enlarge it, you can see them pretty well). It's a real beer!!Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-20310564344529254732014-09-22T23:16:00.000-08:002014-11-08T19:40:32.409-09:00Visiting ValdezInstead of doing any brewing over the weekend, we went to visit Sara in Valdez. I normally make it there a couple times each summer. It's a nice change of pace, a beautiful drive, and a distraction from the daily grind.<br />
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<i>(Note: I've come to the realization that I <b>*suck*</b> at documenting through photography. This trip was filled with lots of people and beautiful scenery, and I captured a minute amount of it. No pics of the three sisters, none of the cousins, none - or rather, ONE - of the friends that also made the trip. Sigh.)</i><br />
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Leaving after work on Friday means that arrival time in Valdez is the wee hours of the morning. Fortunately for us, Sara is always willing to let us wake her up so she can show us to the rooms we get to use while we're there. It's lucky that we can stay at the cannery. If not for that, I wouldn't be able to come visit.<br />
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Valdez isn't large. And it hasn't changed much over the years - at least not enough for a casual, two-times-a-year, weekend visitor to notice. Since I've seen Horse Tail Falls and Bridal Veil Falls multiple times - every time I go, I stop to look - I suppose I didn't think about taking a new picture. And I've been down the mine road several times, so I didn't take a new picture with my car in the creek as we crossed over (the bridge washed out a few years ago, but the creek is shallow enough that the brave-of-heart - and vehicles with enough ground clearance - can make it across). But I saw two waterfalls that I haven't noticed before, and we watched seals in the water. No bear viewings this time.<br />
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On Sunday morning, we woke to fog thicker than pea soup, and received a tour of the fish processing plant. The season's over, so it's all shut down and almost eerily quiet. It was really interesting, and pretty cool since I hadn't ever been any farther inside than the main office. <br />
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When we came out of the plant, the fog was starting to lift. For all the times I've been to Valdez, it's rarely sunny. But those few times are precious, because the scenery is absolutely stunning. I'm glad that we were able to enjoy some sun before the long journey back home. <br />
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Jeannea and I took a little side trip on the way home - a little off-roading with the car. Because it was sunny the view was awesome; however, the wind was blowing so hard that I was afraid it'd rip my phone right out of my hands (and it was a chilly wind). My pictures aren't the greatest because I was shivery and fighting the wind for balance.<br />
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As we got closer to home, clouds moved in and the sunshine evaporated, but the end of our trip was blessed with a rainbow. An excellent finish to a wonderful weekend!<br />
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<br />Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-65916775582539303472014-09-18T22:11:00.000-08:002014-09-23T00:51:26.063-08:00Adventures in Spent GrainGreg asked me if I wanted to keep the grain from the beer to use for cooking. I'd never heard of such a thing, so I told him that we would keep the grains for one day. If I couldn't find anything to make with them, then we'd throw them away. Turns out there are all kinds of things you can make with spent grain from your beer.<br />
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I found a couple websites that have lots of recipes - and now I'm excited to graduate from extract to grain-based brews. I selected something relatively easy to start - a bread that incorporates the grain without having to dry it or grind it. I made the first batch on Monday night.<br />
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It's an easy recipe, not very different from some of the other breads I've made - except for the grains part. I found it <a href="http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/bread-from-beer-grains/" target="_blank">here</a>, along with some good information about using spent grains in bread recipes. I found another recipe <a href="https://byo.com/stories/item/714-great-bread-from-spent-grains" target="_blank">here</a>, but opted to try the first one (mostly because there's a picture, fewer steps, and the rise time - and therefore overall time - is shorter).<br />
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It was delicious! In fact, I set aside more of the grain so I could make the recipe again on Thursday - which I did, but then added chunks of sharp white Cheddar cheese. Yum!! For the remainder of the grain, I opted to dry it and then grind it into flour. This idea came from yet another website (<a href="http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/recipe-spent-grain-flour/" target="_blank">here</a>), which also has all kinds of non-bread recipes for spent grain. Cookies, banana bread, brownies, pie crust... It seems that if a recipe uses flour, it can be modified to use spent grain. This opens up a whole new world to me!<br />
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I followed the instructions for drying my grains. While I'm excited at the many options I see ahead, there's LOTS of room for increasing efficiency in my current process. Like seven hours. That's how long it takes to dry one sheet of grain in the oven. Yeah, I know that's what the recipe said, but some of the comments indicated it might be shorter. (And I thought my oven was at least partially convection because a fan comes on every time you turn it on and continues to blow until long after it's been shut off - turns out that's just a fan, and I have a standard oven <i>which takes <b>7 hours</b> to dry spent grain</i>).<br />
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So my first recommendation: if you're using the oven, don't start the process at 8:30 at night - especially on a work night. I slept in the recliner that night. And I think one of my next acquisitions will be a dehydrator. Because after 7 hours of drying and then a half hour of grinding (<i>done the next evening, because no one wants to listen to the food processor grinding endlessly at 3am</i>), I have just about 1 cup (<b>ONE</b> cup!) of spent grain flour. My second recommendation (or observation, really): spent grain flour will not have the consistency of all-purpose flour - it's chunkier. It's possible if I had some other implement to use I could get it finer and more flour-y. Instead, it's finer than cornmeal and coffee grounds, but not powder like flour. We'll see how that impacts the next recipe I try...<br />
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<br />Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-12728428963629883122014-09-15T22:43:00.000-08:002014-09-22T21:07:12.209-08:00And On To The Next One...We had a busy weekend planned - mostly cleaning, organizing, and getting Jeannea moved back into her room (so she didn't have to sleep on the couch any more... two weeks is more than enough of that) - but I decided I wanted to throw in another batch of beer too. In part because I'm going to Valdez for the next weekend, so it's now or it's in two weeks. If I wait, I'm not confident that the second beer (third batch) will be ready by Halloween.<br />
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We originally talked about brewing from the first recipe again. This time, instead of going from primary to secondary to bottling, we'd skip the secondary so I could see the difference in color and clarity. However, since nothing much happened while the first beer was in secondary timeout, I figured there wouldn't be much change. So I went to the beer store looking for a new recipe, with the backup plan to use the first recipe if I couldn't find anything I liked. I shouldn't have worried.<br />
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The third beer is exactly the same as the first, only different. It's got the malt extract, a small amount of hops, orange peel, and cracked coriander. But it also has grains, and the amounts for orange peel (double the amount, sweet and bitter) and coriander (half as much) are different.<br />
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I used the <b>"Lessons Learned"</b> from the first two batches in brewing this one - but still came up with more. We put <i>everything</i> in bags - the hops, the grains, the spices. Greg had picked up some more of the smaller bags, but we couldn't find them, so used the gigantic bag that will hold a small world and maybe some satellites for the grains - just tied it off and dangled it in the boiling water. However, because it's a 15 gallon brew pot and we're only starting with 2-3 gallons of water, it touches the bottom. Turns out my new lesson is that the grain bags can melt and burn holes, which in turn releases all the bits that I'm trying to keep contained. Sanitized strainers come in handy for a rescue mission when it's time to remove the grains...<br />
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And likely because of the escaped grains, the pour spout on the kettle didn't work - yet again. So we ended up siphoning the liquid from the kettle into the carboy. But it was easier this time because most of the floaties were already gone. One of these days I'll have the lessons down well enough that when I brew we can actually make the transfer in the easy way...<br />
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But the beer is done and active in the carboy. It's still darker than I'm used to for a wheat bear. Greg says that this is because we're using the malt extract, and it's darker even with the grains. In a couple weeks, it'll be ready for the next step. I think we're going to transfer this one straight to bottles. At the same time, the apple beer will be ready to transfer into the secondary. And it's possible (if I'm up for it) that the same weekend we could brew the fourth beer...Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-73689761494264531172014-09-11T21:49:00.000-08:002014-09-17T22:36:03.124-08:00Bottling the First BeerBeer the First has been in secondary for just about a week now. It doesn't look like it has done anything at all. No bubbling, no mess, no fuss. To me, it doesn't seem to be any clearer, but there's definitely a small sediment layer at the bottom of the carboy. So I suppose that's something, right?<br />
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I thought we were going to wait until the next brewing to bottle, but Greg picked up some supplies and we're ready to go. The extra time spent waiting isn't going make the beer any better, so may as well get it in bottles - it's that much closer to drinking...<br />
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We didn't have enough bottles from Greg's previous foray into brewing, so he picked up some more. (We've also been saving the non-twist-top bottles from the store-bought beer to re-purpose, but we still hadn't amassed enough.) In addition, Greg acquired a bottle tree for us. We had already washed the bottles in the dishwasher, but they need to be sanitized too.<br />
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This is another part of beer-making where prep, sanitizing, and clean-up actually takes longer than the beer process. It took about a half hour to bottle the beer, but we spent an additional hour and a half prepping, sanitizing, cleaning up, and sanitizing again. I keep thinking it's a wonder that anyone from hundreds of years ago had any beer at all...<br />
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So what I didn't know (and it wasn't included in the recipe) is that there's one more additive to the beer before bottling: corn sugar. This apparently gives the beer its carbonation. So we boiled water and added the sugar, then transferred the beer (one more time!) to a 5 gallon bucket with a spigot at the bottom. We put the sugar water in first so the beer would (hopefully) mix evenly to get good carbonation.<br />
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From there, it's out the spigot and into the bottles. Now to wait for two weeks - then this batch should be ready for drinking. <i>(*fingers crossed that it's drinkable - <b>or even tasty</b> - rather than drain cleaning poison. I'll know in two weeks...)</i>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-59269438707698233862014-09-07T18:21:00.002-08:002014-09-07T21:13:51.101-08:00Apples are in SeasonTo get back on the weekend brew schedule, I decided to pick up the ingredients for the next brew on Saturday. I was planning to make the same recipe that we've already done, but Greg convinced me to try a fruit beer. It won't be ready for Halloween (Greg says it'll be <i>drinkable</i>, but won't come into it's own until Thanksgiving or Christmas), but we can brew this one, then next week brew the first recipe again (which will still be ready by the end of October). So I pulled up some of the recipes that I've been ruminating on and we picked an apple beer.<br />
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I like apple beer. At least, I like the apple beer that Moose's Tooth used to have (they still have apple beer, but the recipe has changed and it tastes more like hard apple cider, which I'm not as fond of). So I'm interested to see how this turns out.<br />
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It was a lovely day yesterday. Perfect for collecting supplies, manual labor in the yard (for Greg), and brewing beer. Since Greg spent the afternoon working with the neighbor to put up our fence, we didn't get started brewing until after 8pm. In the meantime, I picked up the remaining necessary ingredients, which included apples picked fresh from our friends' tree, and a drive down Turnagain Arm to get more water.<br />
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Because we were starting so late (and it's fall, so we're losing sunlight faster and faster), Greg set up his construction lights on the deck. Don't look directly in them unless you want to be blinded.<br />
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We started the prep by cutting the apples. That was a chore all on its own. Twelve pounds of apples that ranged in size between a golf ball (the smallest) and a tennis ball (the largest) takes quite some time. Fortunately we didn't have to core them.<br />
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The apples are added at the very end, so we started by boiling hops, adding the malt extract, and priming the yeast. The yeast was dry this time - not a slap pack - so we had to rejuvenate it and ensure it was active. According to Greg, there's not a persuasive reason to use dry yeast over a slap pack - which is a lot less work. I asked why we didn't get one this time - he said we're staying as close to the original recipe as possible for the first go-round. If this turns out well and we decide to make it again, I'm definitely using the easier method. Eventually we'll cultivate our own yeast, but we're not ready for that yet.<br />
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The apples are supposed to steep in the brew for 15 minutes. We continued the boil for a bit, so the apples would soften. We wanted them soft so they'd be easier to transfer into the carboy with the beer. (Had we been transferring to a bucket, this wouldn't have been an issue.) Which leads me to the lessons learned this time:<br />
<ul>
<li>When adding hops to a beer that has fruit in it, put the hops in a grain bag. Otherwise, there's no easy way to separate the hops to keep it out of the carboy. According to Greg, having the hops in the primary fermentation won't hurt the beer, but it's preferable to remove them prior. They'll be gone (as will the apples) when we rack the beer into the secondary (in three weeks). Because of the issues we had with the first brew (where I didn't put the cracked coriander and orange peel in a grain bag, so they blocked the spigot), I'm thinking that we should probably use grain bags for just about everything.</li>
<li>When using fruit (apples in this case, but any fruit really), cut them small. Since we use a carboy (with a very small opening) for the primary, it's difficult to force the apple slices through the funnel into the carboy (and I'm still not sure how we're going to get them out again). Next time the apples will be chopped (but not diced, because we don't want them to block the spigot of the brew kettle).</li>
</ul>
Overall, this time things seemed to go quicker and smoother. As a bonus, we got to watch the moon rise. Not sure if it's waxing or waning, but it looked close to full.<br />
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We finished brewing and transferring the beer at 1am. Because Greg was getting up early to go hiking, he went to bed and I spent another hour cleaning and sanitizing the equipment, getting things prepped and ready for the next use. Thank goodness today is Sunday, so I could sleep in. (Two AM is late on a work night, even for me.) The finished product is darker than the apple beer I'm used to, but Greg says all the beers we make using extract will be darker looking.<br />
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We were a little concerned about whether or not the yeast would be active, because the wort cooled down quicker than we expected (because we added the hot liquid to 3 and 1/2 gallons of from-the-rocks-cold water). Not only that, but Greg has mentioned several times that there's the possibility that this brew will pop the cork and explode all over the garage. I'm not sure why there's more of a concern with this one than the last - maybe the apples? I certainly hope it doesn't explode, but we're sure the yeast is active. As of this afternoon:<br />
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Next week, the plan is to bottle the first beer and brew the third batch. The third will be the same recipe we used for the first - but this time we're not going to move it to secondary (and I'm going to use grain bags for the hops AND the coriander and orange peel). I'm looking forward to tasting my first beer. I'm guessing it'll be at least a week or so after bottling, so in two weeks?Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-31784787864174648542014-09-04T23:22:00.000-08:002014-09-07T17:01:43.538-08:00Racking and CaningThat's the next step for my first beer. Although the recipe says we can skip this step and go straight to bottling, we're going to rack this beer with a cane and put it in secondary. Sounds like torture.<br />
<br />
We actually could have done this step on Sunday, so we keep to the weekends for brewing - which I prefer. But this past weekend was Labor Day, the last long weekend - and the last campout - of the season. So Greg assured me we could wait a few days before bottling (and brewing the next beer).<br />
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On Wednesday, when Greg, James, and I headed up to the camp ground, the forecast was rain, with more rain, and a cold front moving in over the weekend. Dubious camping conditions, to be sure. But we were taking tarps and awnings and a truck FULL of wood, so we figured we'd make it through. And instead of the rain we had sunshine, clear skies (cold nights), and a beautiful weekend.<br />
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I intended to take more pictures, knowing that I've started blogging again - and even if my blog may center around my beer-making activities, this counts (since it delayed my next beer). Instead, you get the best two scenery shots, and a warning picture of what can happen at the end of the life of an air mattress.<br />
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There has been some internal hemorrhaging in our air mattress. And every now and then you could hear a new pop - something else in there let go. Originally the only external sign of damage was that a couple of the divots bumped up instead of bowing down like they're supposed to. We've continued to use the mattress over the summer, each trip another pop or two. Until this time. The last night on the mattress, as Greg was going to bed, it sounded like several soft gunshots (or some very loud, hard farts), and the night was very uncomfortable. In the morning, after giving thanks for several years of good camping use, we snapped pictures of the deformity, deflated the mattress, and sent it off to the dump. There's another one in the shed, but I don't know if it holds air. I'll have to test it before camping next summer so I know whether or not we need to get a new one...<br />
<br />
We got home early evening on Monday and spent the rest of the time unpacking, showering, cleaning, and getting ready to go back to the real world. Tuesday was supposed to be the next step in the beer dance, as well as beginning a new flavor. Problem is, I haven't picked the next recipe I want to try. To be precise, I've picked some recipes that I want to try, but they won't be done in time for our Halloween party, and I really want at least one more brew ready for tasting by then.<br />
<br />
We decided to transfer the first beer into a secondary. Greg says it
won't hurt anything, it'll just make the beer a little clearer and there
will be less sediment when we go to the bottling stage. Because I'd
like to have two batches ready for Halloween, we've opted to make this
recipe a second time, but not put it through the second transfer. This
will let me see the difference in clarity and taste (if any). We'll
also be brewing a fruit beer - as soon as I pick the recipe - but it
won't be ready for consumption by the end of October. <br />
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We're
doing all our brewing activities on the deck or in the kitchen right
now. At some point, we'll have things set up so we can work out of the
garage, hopefully over the winter so we don't get frostbite. So Greg
lugged the beer upstairs so we could make the transfer. It's messy
because of the yeast-y overflow.<br />
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To
make the transfer (rack the beer), we use a cane with a flexible hose
attached. The cane is just a long, hard plastic tube that is held in
the beer, the hose goes to the soon-to-be-filled carboy. The most
difficult part (aside from making sure everything is sanitized) is
creating the siphon. We filled the cane and tube with sanitized water,
making sure there was no air in the line (harder than it sounds, for
someone who's only siphoned gas one time years and years ago and ended
up with a mouthful of nastiness). Once this is done, Greg inserted the
cane in the beer, down to just above the sediment layer, and the end of
the flex-tube into a bowl (so we could drain the water without putting
it in the new carboy). After the water was flushed out, the tube went
into the new carboy and the beer started flowing. In all, it took
longer to sanitize before and after the process than it did to transfer
the beer. Now it'll sit for a while in the secondary - while we figure
out if we've got enough bottles, get more if needed, and get them
sanitized - before we head to the bottling stage. Now it's time to
decide the next recipe and start the process over again...<br />
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<br />Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-24672275130272960922014-08-23T12:10:00.000-08:002014-09-07T17:02:01.768-08:00The Yeast Is ALIVE!!!That should read:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The yeast is <i><b>ALIVE</b></i>!!!</div>
<br />
<i>...and you should maybe hear some creepy Frankenstein music, followed by some triumphant Rocky Balboa music. The title line doesn't allow letter formatting, so I have to spell out the cues so you get the multiple layers of meanings.</i><br />
<br />
It's been a couple years since I've done any posting to my blog (in fact, I have a partially completed draft from November 2012 that I'm debating on whether to delete or post). I'm sure the 12 followers I used to have gave up on getting anything new a long time ago. So I'm going to assume I'm writing this for me. At some point, maybe I'll let people know I'm filling my <i>e</i>-pages again, but for now I'll keep it small scale.<br />
--------------On to my title:<br />
For various reasons (some of which I'll likely go into in future posts), I've decided to start trying my hand at brewing beer. One of the reasons that I started thinking of this a while ago is that I don't care for IPAs - and a <i>lot</i> of the beer offered up here is really hoppy. I'm trying to expand my palate so I have more to choose from than a hefeweisen, white, or fruit beer (usually raspberry wheat), but apparently I'm rather particular, and there just aren't that many options for someone who doesn't care for the bittery hops taste or the darker beers.<br />
<br />
When we visited Colorado a few years ago, one thing I remember is the virtual cornucopia of beer selection. It's when I got really interested in beer, because it was so tasty and there were so many options. Of particular note were the lemon grass and the chai beers. They're what I remember most, but I had good beer everywhere we stopped.<br />
<br />
And now I've started by making my very own first beer. Greg's helping me, since he's done home brewing several times in the past and this is my first foray into the art. We started with something that should be simple, but was more than a kit. Like making my first cake from scratch, rather than a box mix.<br />
<br />
To start, we spent three hours pulling out all Greg's equipment and sanitizing everything. Turns out that we decided to replace some things (<i>is that just discoloration, or black mold growing on that plastic? - why won't that discoloration go away? - I don't have anything small enough to get in and scrub the dust / dead spider out of this thing...</i>), rather than trying to find a way to salvage them. Probably better for everyone that we were wise like that.<br />
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We picked up the ingredients (and whatever replacements were necessary), and the next evening we took a drive. It wasn't because I was too nervous to start my first venture (although I admit to a bit of trepidation), nor was it because the weather was just too fine so we had to pass on brewing (although the weather was indeed spectacular). The actual reason was to get the water for the recipe. Greg says we can't use tap water (or if we do, the beer won't taste very good). So the options are to buy RO water (reverse osmosis, according to the recipe) or head out to the pipe along Turnagain Arm and get fresh (<i>well / spring / glacier / from the rocks</i>) water. And that's exactly what we did.<br />
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What followed was another long evening. It was fun and exciting, but I also had a mini-meltdown and was sure that I'd ruined what was supposed to be a relatively easy recipe for my very first beer. The whole process is a bunch of this: add something then wait for a while; add something else then wait some more; add something and choose whether or not you want to add this other thing, then wait some more... So during the waiting periods we spent time visiting, Greg grilled hot dogs for dinner, we cursed the rain (<i>but I noticed it beading up really nicely on the new deck paint - yay!</i>), we stirred the pot and checked the temperature, and we waited. At various points we added grains, malt extract, hops, and spices.<br />
<br />
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A few things that I've learned from my beginning venture:<br />
<ul>
<li>Always, <i>always</i> use a mesh bag to steep any additives (like cracked coriander) - leaving it loose makes it so the spout on the keg cook pot becomes blocked and you have to move your operation inside to get the remaining liquid into the carboy.</li>
<li>If you're having to scoop floating debris out of your beer, you should not try putting it down the disposal in the kitchen. It will plug the drain and then you'll have to use the plunger to get the water to drain properly again. Use the trash can - it's much more forgiving.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Beer yeast is sensitive to temperature, similar to how bread yeast is sensitive. Which brings us to the title of my post:</li>
</ul>
I didn't kill the yeast! Which means that the beer is doing whatever chemical reaction it does at this stage. I'm not sure whether my beer will taste like crap yet, but I know it has a chance to be a real beer, with carbonation and everything. (<i>Cue Pinocchio voice: It's going to be a <b>real</b> beer!</i>) I know this because we had to clean up some spillage. The yeast is bubbling enough that oozy foam is leaking out the de-gasser thing on top and pooling at the base of the carboy. So, having to clean up a mess is a good indicator that my first beer is not dead out of the gate. Yay! I'll take that as a positive. Greg says this is not technically a wheat beer, although we used wheat malt extract, and it's not really an amber, although the color is more similar to that, but something of a hybrid. I don't have a name for it yet, but here's a picture of the product in day two of fermentation:<br />
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This one doesn't require a secondary transfer. The next time we touch this (aside from cleaning up more oozy foam), we'll be transferring to bottles. It'll sit in the bottles for a while, and then it'll be the true test. But before we get there, I'm already on the hunt for my next recipe, because we'll be brewing again before I even get to taste the results of my first one... <i>*fingers crossed*</i> Here's to hoping my beers are actually tasty (and definitely don't poison anyone)...Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-10771389993729486032012-04-23T23:17:00.000-08:002012-06-09T11:11:24.302-08:00Messengers of SpringThis winter has been particularly rough for me. I don't think it's wise for me to go Outside in the winter. Oh, it's nice to get a break from the cold and dark, but it doesn't do my psyche any good. I've spent the last couple of months swinging like a pendulum from depression to anger and back again. Depressed that it's been SO DAMN COLD, and then angry that by the time summer gets here it'll be over in a flash and then I'll be back in the cold (which triggers the resentful depression). It's no different than other years - well maybe just a bit, since this year we had a record number of days below zero in January, and we're working on record snowfall - but it's worse because just a short while ago I was walking around in shorts and t-shirts, and wearing my jacket was often too warm. Now I can't seem to get warm, can't go outside without several layers (and I *still* get cold), can't seem to beat the winter gloom. But the end is in sight.<br />
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Visits from my sisters, headed to fish camps, are one of the signs of spring. It's a treat - I almost feel like it's a reward for having endured another winter. Plus, I <b>*love*</b> to see my sisters! I didn't have a whole lot of time with either of them, but a few days is much better than no time at all and years between visits. I'll take what I can get!!<br />
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Sara wanted to make goulash, go to Bear Tooth for dinner and a movie, and go to Turnagain Arm Pit. We made two of the three things happen - and will try to work in a trip for barbecue when she comes back in September. It's going to be an exciting, alarming, growing summer for her and I'll be sending support and love vibes - and working in a trip or two, if I can.<br />
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Not even a week later, Jeannea was here to visit. Yay for more Sister Time!! We had some friends over to visit and "help" Jeannea practice what she's learned in massage therapy school. She did mention that she needs to build up strength in her hands - and there are more than plenty volunteers that we can drum up for her! It's also going to be a crazy-busy summer for Jeannea, so I'll be sending support and love vibes to her too, I just can't go visit. =( But she'll be back to see me in August, so I'll be content with that.<br />
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Now if only the snow would melt so we can get through the dirty part of spring and on to the green, growing, warmth of spr... I guess by then it's pretty much summer.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-43479648326048394822012-01-09T23:47:00.012-09:002012-06-03T00:52:21.931-08:00Florida Connection - Finis<br />
<i>(Note: Long ago I found a way to change the date on my posts - so instead of being dated when I publish them, I can have them chronologically dated for when the events happened. While keeping things in order, this means that not every entry was posted in a timely fashion. Take this one, for example. In real-time, it's June. I only mention this because I know I haven't been updating regularly - it's been, say... five months or so?? - and I have more entries in queue. Bear with me while I get back to this whole blogging thing, will you? I mean, if the twelve or thirteen of you haven't gone off and abandoned me already since I've neglected your trust in me to provide... something... more frequently than TWICE A YEAR... Ahem.)</i> <br />
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We spent our last evening having dinner with family friends I haven't seen for more than 20 years. <i>(It doesn't seem right that I'm old enough to have known someone that long ago.)</i> In a complete coincidence (and thanks to Facebook), we found that Sam and Pam were in Florida for vacation at the same time we were there for Greg's running mania. I'm absolutely amazed, and a bit shocked, that we could be so far from home and hook up with friends from Idaho (of all places), just because a picture from Olive Garden was posted on Facebook. How cool is that?!? <br />
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I have to admit that I was a bit nervous - I mean, what am I going to say to these folks after so much time? And what do I call them? I mean, I'm an adult now, but they were adults when I was a child so is using first names acceptable? But Mr. and Mrs. just sounds way too formal... And I also admit to being a little concerned that they wouldn't approve of me in some way. <i>(I choose to think that was a throwback to my childhood days and remembered authority figures, rather than an indication of deep-seated self-doubt.)</i> It didn't help my nerves that we were running behind, went to the wrong pickup spot, then had to backtrack to finally get connected.<br />
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As soon as we were together, it was easy as pie. We spent the few hours we had catching up on family goings-on and glossing over the intervening years of separation. Almost like going back in time, only better because now I can more fully enjoy the interaction. They're almost unchanged from what I remember - or else my new memories are superimposed over my old ones - a little grayer around the temples, perhaps, but still the same. Amazing to think of how time has passed, and so totally wonderful that we could get together - I was sad when our time together ended, but glad of the new memories we have. <i>God bless and keep you, Sam and Pam.</i><br />
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It's been an amazing trip. Between the sightseeing, getting acquainted
with friends, Greg's running accomplishments, and the wonderful surprise of connecting with old friends, it's almost hard to leave. And yet...
home beckons. Not the cold (it's been below zero for almost the whole
time we've been gone), but the friends and family who are waiting for
us. And, I suppose, the knowledge that I have not yet found the job
that will pay me to <i>not</i> work.<br />
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And so we're down to the final adventure: the trip home, where I almost lost my wallet, Greg shoplifted from the Disney store, we barely made one of the connecting flights, and I saw another new vending machine (with makeup, a mini boom box, sunglasses, and eye covers for sale).<br />
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After we checked our bags and were heading for security, we decided to use the restrooms. From there, we stopped at the Disney store to browse for souveniers. I found some chocolate covered pretzels but when I was heading up to the counter, discovered my wallet was missing. I handed everything to Greg - rather abruptly, I might add - and raced back to the restroom, praying all the way that someone had turned it in, <i>and where is the lost and found anyway? I don't care if they take the money, just please,<b> please</b> leave the ID so I can get home...</i> Miracle of miracles (thank you, Lord), my wallet was on the floor just outside the stall I'd used, where it must have fallen out of my pocket. I gathered the recalcitrant item <i>(and my racing heart, and my dropped stomach)</i> and headed back to find Greg, only to discover that he had followed me out of the store and half way down the long hallway. I marched him back into the Disney store so we could pay for the pilfered items, and then we were on our way home. <i> (To be fair, I guess the pretzels got wrapped up in my coat, so Greg didn't even realize I'd handed him an item from the store. But it's much more fun to say that he shoplifted...)</i> Only one delay, one mad-dash race to the gate for the connecting flight, and now we're home, dreaming of sunny, warm Florida while attempting to avoid frostbite from the frigid weather.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-78660050382359047652012-01-08T23:45:00.230-09:002012-02-12T20:49:17.560-09:00Florida Connection - Let the Running CommenceAnd the insanity begins. Greg ran three races in three days. And I had to get up and moving before the butt-crack of dawn for those three days - a minor miracle, in and of itself. He started with a 5k - the Family Fun Run - on Friday morning. It was a good test, since we knew we'd have to leave even earlier and deal with more traffic for the other races. (<i>As it is, I almost took an off-ramp that I shouldn't have - thanks and *waves* to the folks creeping along behind that let me back in the lane. In my defense, it was labelled "runner drop off" and it <b>sure as HELL isn't me</b> running these races. And it was early. And I hadn't had much caffeine. I don't do well in these kinds of situations.</i>) Ahem.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIuUrSIE2L4/Ty4JEKW5gBI/AAAAAAAADkM/XoyKgYf_KJw/s1600/Caballeros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIuUrSIE2L4/Ty4JEKW5gBI/AAAAAAAADkM/XoyKgYf_KJw/s320/Caballeros.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Friday afternoon, we hooked up with Mike and Marci (they came up to Orlando from Naples to spend the weekend with us and cheer for Greg), and Dayna (aka Lethal Lavender, one of my all-time favorite roller derby girls - yay!!). Dayna is the one that planted the seed in Greg's demented brain for running all these races. It's super-cool to meet her in person, since I've admired her from afar for quite some time (I may have just a bit of star-worship going on here, but it's not stalker-ish... I promise...). We've been "Facebook friends" for a while, but never actually interacted in person until now. She's down-to-earth and friendly. She's funny, and totally human. (I suppose that's true of other celebrities too, but this is my first brush with such a luminary.)<br />
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Early to bed, early to rise... Both are rather difficult for me. To accommodate, I had to shower the night before, so I could get out of bed, get dressed, and get going. (We also made sure to stock the fridge with Rockstars. I think I barely remembered to brush my teeth.) Still, try as I might, I didn't get to bed until almost midnight, which made the 3:30am wakeup rather painful. Ah, well. It's for a good cause. (That's what I kept telling myself, as I was dragging around, working extra hard not to be too grouchy. Mornings in general are not my thing. Mornings that start at 3am are especially torturous.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vi2_CTC_KiQ/TzhuS5n5b8I/AAAAAAAADkU/B6FRZ86sU4s/s1600/PrincessCastle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vi2_CTC_KiQ/TzhuS5n5b8I/AAAAAAAADkU/B6FRZ86sU4s/s320/PrincessCastle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Once we were moving, everything seemed to go relatively well. Disney is incredibly organized. They'd have to be, to host an event of this scale. Apparently more than 26,000 runners registered for the half-marathon, almost 17,000 for the marathon, and there were about 6,498 people just as bat-shit crazy as Greg and Dayna to run the Goofy. Who knew there were that many deranged runners in this world? Anyhow. To support such a gathering, there were more than 6,000 volunteers, in addition to the Disney staff. And it seemed to run smooth-as-pie good. Which is to say: phenomenal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rr71mVIK6Cg/Tzh1RPiDT_I/AAAAAAAADkk/tfOO3KaO82A/s1600/HalfFinished2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rr71mVIK6Cg/Tzh1RPiDT_I/AAAAAAAADkk/tfOO3KaO82A/s320/HalfFinished2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span id="goog_1255584649"></span><span id="goog_1255584650"></span>From the spectator side, everything was done well. (For a bit of the runner's perspective, Dayna has a blog and posted <a href="http://runningrollergirl.tumblr.com/post/15444861596/headed-to-the-first-half-of-awesome-this-morning" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://runningrollergirl.tumblr.com/post/15477941984/donald-half-complete-on-to-the-micky-full" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://runningrollergirl.tumblr.com/post/15502790420/awesome-take-2-theres-a-motivational-thing-that" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://runningrollergirl.tumblr.com/post/15570995612/this-is-greg-and-i-with-the-mary-poppins-crew-the" target="_blank">here</a>.) We had free transportation from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom (and back), and routes were well marked. Aside from the staff and volunteers every few feet, I could just follow the hordes of people - we were all heading the same way. (<i>Yes. I was a sheeple. But it worked. I didn't get lost and was at the finish for both races.</i>) For the half, I went directly from dropping Greg off to the railway to get to Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, they didn't open the park for spectators until 5:30am. So I rode it back and forth for a bit, until I could get in. I walked up to the castle, which was beautiful in its pre-dawn splendor, to wait. Then I started to get nervous about fighting the hordes of people to get back to Epcot to watch the finish, so I turned around and went back. Turns out, I probably would have been just fine, but I didn't know it at the time and opted to watch the finish over a mid-way point. I only had one chance to get a picture, because action shots on my camera require me to push the shutter half way down and wait for my subject(s) to enter the frame. So when Greg and Dayna kicked it to the finish, I just missed the shot where they were side-by-side (literally by a second). Instead you get the shot above, where I had to circle Dayna's head so you'd see she was actually there.<br />
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It took them a little over 3 hours to finish the race. They weren't super-fast, but in no danger of the sweepers either, and they finished. (Disney has a time limit, and if you're not going fast enough the sweepers will pick you off from the back of the pack, so you won't get to finish. Rather like nefarious vampires (<i>aren't all vampires nefarious?</i>), only everyone lives and there's no blood - unless it's a popped blister or some other race-related injury.) It brings to mind a t-shirt we saw at the runner's Expo: <b><i>The slowest runner is faster than the guy sitting on the couch</i>.</b> Ain't that the truth! Way to go, Greg and Dayna!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MskIS2YmPww/Tzh_ObUfTaI/AAAAAAAADks/7wsx1bP2_NU/s1600/Norway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MskIS2YmPww/Tzh_ObUfTaI/AAAAAAAADks/7wsx1bP2_NU/s320/Norway.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I didn't get after-the-half pictures because Dayna had to take off (for some reason she thought it'd be a good idea to schedule a massage after the race...). So Mike, Marci, Greg and I headed into Epcot to spend the afternoon wandering the park. We started in the countries, and determined we were going to eat and drink our way around the world. It was a heroic endeavor, and I'm proud to say we completed the task (although it was just prior to closing and the fireworks, but we did it). We took a break half-way 'round so we could go to the other side for some rides and entertainment. We didn't get to do Soarin' because the wait-time was too long, but we caught Captain Eo (the old, OLD 3D skit with Michael Jackson). I also had to take a picture of Greg at the Norwegian troll. Brought back memories of the last time we were here, years ago. (There's a similar picture in <a href="http://pennysdiatribe.blogspot.com/2008/05/mothers-day-meander.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fnnbXot6iB0/TziCUgXr5fI/AAAAAAAADk0/wITRuG2LNvM/s1600/DaylightCastle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fnnbXot6iB0/TziCUgXr5fI/AAAAAAAADk0/wITRuG2LNvM/s320/DaylightCastle.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Sunday was exactly the same... only different. This time, I napped in the car for almost two hours before I headed to the Magic Kingdom. (<i>As I was heading to the railway, I could hear the announcers heralding the first finishers crossing the line. <b>Damn! Those dudes are fast!!</b></i>) I have to say, the text updates were super-helpful. I had some idea of where they were at, so wasn't panicking that I'd missed them as I was standing at the castle, watching the runners go by. On the way back to Epcot, there was some kind of issue with the railway, so we had to take a ferry across the lake (I'd hooked up with Mike and Marci by that time), then wait in an enormously long line at the central station to get back to Epcot. I must say, Disney is the King of Queues. We were almost constantly moving. Down the lane, 180 degree turn and walk back the way we came (only a foot or two closer), wind down a ways, then back and forth again. Just when I thought we were on the homestretch, I'd see that there was another labyrinthine twist to the line. But because we were moving constantly, it felt like we were making progress so no one got overly grouchy or upset because of the glitch. Almost like magic. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy3U_Kxvst9XHXW_0ZYI_mbvGdjGhVISW4l7KvP3VZJoY-WThyji0PCie17VqSf3CRQoq6w1ooXyb0' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>It was fun to stand in the crowd, watching the runners. Constant amazement that these people have just run 26.2 miles and are still upright. And the other crowd members were incredibly supportive. A few were even runners that had already finished and were hanging out for a while to cheer on and support everyone else. I got smart this time, and instead of trying to get a single picture, I set my camera to video. This is only the second video ever that I've posted - might even be the second video ever that I've taken. (<i>The first is <a href="http://pennysdiatribe.blogspot.com/2008/06/wii-fit-ive-got-to-get-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and it still makes me laugh every time I watch it. Thanks, Greg, for being such a good sport!</i>)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GZK25klZjHI/TziI8uzibrI/AAAAAAAADk8/Onfwk8rBci4/s1600/MandMwithGreg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GZK25klZjHI/TziI8uzibrI/AAAAAAAADk8/Onfwk8rBci4/s320/MandMwithGreg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The rest of the day was spent in recuperation-mode, and saying goodbye. Sunday was one of the only times I can remember where I could walk faster than Greg. I felt bad for the obvious discomfort they both were feeling, but it made me giggle to be able to "run get the car" while he hobbled out of the restaurant. Is that bad? I think it probably is, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Besides, by Monday he was hearty and hale again (and I was trailing behind in our dashes from various planes to new ones as we headed home). I'm so proud of Greg for doing this (but not surprised). Once he determined this was what he wanted to do, he made it happen. He's just like that.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ba3NoOW61Dc/TziKRgRMEYI/AAAAAAAADlE/tKQogpuGRO4/s1600/GoofyFinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ba3NoOW61Dc/TziKRgRMEYI/AAAAAAAADlE/tKQogpuGRO4/s320/GoofyFinish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Way to go, Dayna and Greg!!</b></i></div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-70046145026667814812012-01-04T22:43:00.110-09:002012-01-23T22:03:02.565-09:00Florida Connection - The KeysToday we headed south to the Florida Keys. Randomly throughout the trip, my mind would break into the song by the Beach Boys: <i>Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go down to Cocomo / we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow / that's where I want to go, way down to Cocomo</i>... (I know you're singing it now, just like I am.) How can you not think of that song when you're surrounded by sun and sand?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-StyZO58cUaw/TxOU_FGjhLI/AAAAAAAADjk/KTmWA5pUNN0/s1600/HugeCrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-StyZO58cUaw/TxOU_FGjhLI/AAAAAAAADjk/KTmWA5pUNN0/s320/HugeCrab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We stopped whenever we felt the need: food and shopping being the primary motivators for detours along the way. We tested the Key Lime Pie at every location where it was available. My absolute favorite (aside from ALL Key Lime Pie in Florida - which truly is the best, and beats anything at home by miles and miles) was from a cafe (read: trendy resort restaurant) in Islamorada. Creamy, decadent, a little tart, and just fabulous! I also tried Conch fritters. Add that to the list of things I never have to try again. Greg likes them, but they're too rubbery and chewy for me - the flavor is fine, but this texture gal didn't enjoy them. At least now I know.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwZeAZalCow/Tx5SWSPv_xI/AAAAAAAADjw/r89lknZY_sA/s1600/FreeRangeChickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwZeAZalCow/Tx5SWSPv_xI/AAAAAAAADjw/r89lknZY_sA/s320/FreeRangeChickens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>(<i>We stopped to get gas and some momma chickens with babies in tow - followed by the manly roosters - wandered into the parking lot. </i><i> It was charming to watch the little family pecking about freely</i><i>.</i>) We made it to Key West just after sunset. We were trying to be there beforehand, so Greg could get pictures and because they apparently have a sundown party every night. We caught a couple of the last performers, then headed out to walk the streets. O.M.G. There were SO MANY PEOPLE! Vacationers everywhere (of course), people calling window shoppers (like us) into the stores, people passing out invitations to shows (we could've seen a couple different drag shows, if we'd had the time)... I almost felt claustrophobic just walking around.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWCf1JG9gKA/Tx5SfU6qXTI/AAAAAAAADj4/AQ3dxiC7dSc/s1600/SouthernMostPoint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWCf1JG9gKA/Tx5SfU6qXTI/AAAAAAAADj4/AQ3dxiC7dSc/s320/SouthernMostPoint.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Greg and I both agree that we'd like to come back to Key West - but when we have more time. Time to rent mopeds or ride bikes around the streets; time to sit on the beach; time to enjoy the scenery and bask in the sun; time to explore the historical sites; time when we can do more than just browse the tourist-y shops. It's so nice to be enjoying weather as nice as some of our best summer days in the middle of winter. I love sitting on the deck, looking out at the ocean, eating lunch or dinner. I can tell that adjusting to the cold and snow when we get back home is going to be tough for me. (<i>We've been watching the weather - not only is it cold, it's been below zero almost the whole time we've been gone. Ugh! Glad I'm missing that, but going back it going to <b>hurt</b>!</i>)<br />
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On the trip out, I counted the bridges - we crossed 47 bridges from Key West to the mainland, including the 7-mile bridge. Greg wanted to run part of that, but it was closed, so he took some pictures instead. We're spending the night in Naples with Marci and Mike, then heading back to Orlando for the Big Race Weekend. I wore shorts today without the compression socks, and I can tell my ankles are swelling - the skin is tight and pink (but no sausage toes!). Hopefully having them up at night will help, and then I'll wear my Special Socks for the drive up to Orlando (not much beach walking then).Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-82656821619226845772012-01-03T23:04:00.028-09:002012-01-23T00:30:45.997-09:00Florida Connection - Coral CastleIt's unassuming and unsightly from the outside. In fact, I was prepared to be inundated with the cheese-factor and disappointed altogether (rather like when we visited the alien museum in Roswell, NM years ago). Instead, the <a href="http://coralcastle.com/">Coral Castle</a> (which is really a rock garden) is utterly <i>amazing</i>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VPYd0FZhS1M/TxDZCn-5bMI/AAAAAAAADi8/8RrU_y_W_eQ/s1600/GardenView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VPYd0FZhS1M/TxDZCn-5bMI/AAAAAAAADi8/8RrU_y_W_eQ/s320/GardenView.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Apparently, the gentleman responsible for the display (Edward Leedskalnin) did the work entirely alone. No one is exactly sure how he moved the huge slabs of coral into position. Additionally, he constructed the original garden in Florida City, then moved it 10 miles to Homestead and continued to add pieces. <i>(Did he move it because Florida City was becoming too populated? Or was is because the current location in Homestead is a convergence of electrical currents - and maybe the original location was a mathematical miscalculation?)</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dg6rVHLdHwI/TxDbBJ63FZI/AAAAAAAADjE/_ZWN-QPRfIc/s1600/ThroneRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dg6rVHLdHwI/TxDbBJ63FZI/AAAAAAAADjE/_ZWN-QPRfIc/s320/ThroneRoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Some of the slabs of rock weigh several tons. Edward cut and moved the coral rock from local beds to create his garden. He was just over 5 feet tall and weighed around 100 pounds - and did all the work alone, primarily at night. Speculation is rampant as to how he accomplished such an impressive feat. He came from a family of stonemasons in Latvia, so understood the properties of stone. Some surmise that he belonged to the Free Masons, and may have had help from the brotherhood. There is also a theory that he may have used acoustic levitation (sound waves) - or magnetism - to maneuver the stone. (We watched a video on the guide's iPad showing a hunk of metal being lifted and twisted by sound waves - but I didn't write down the site and can't find it on my own. The heaviest thing lifted by sound in the videos I can find it water droplets.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-092imhDsz2A/TxDgDZQcgsI/AAAAAAAADjM/N4vltWUXa58/s1600/MoonPhases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-092imhDsz2A/TxDgDZQcgsI/AAAAAAAADjM/N4vltWUXa58/s320/MoonPhases.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Aside from the fascinating aspects of construction, the rock garden is full of wonder and mystery. There is a sun dial that depicts not only the time, but also the date - and it's still highly accurate. There are planetary and mythological symbols throughout the area - including the Maiden (new moon), Mother (full moon) and Crone (waning moon). He built a well, a forge, a stone bathtub (the guide pointed out the slight grade so it always drains), living quarters in a two-story tower, and a Polaris telescope (a 25' tall, 20 ton solid piece of coral aligned to track the North Star). In addition to many chairs, benches, tables, and fixtures. He even built a 9-ton stone gate that rotated on a metal pole and ball bearings and could be moved with just a gentle push. After 40-some years, the ball bearings gave out. When a team of several engineers from the University of Florida tried to fix it, they couldn't get it balanced correctly and had to shave off some of the stone, which unbalanced the whole slab. It only took 10 years for it to break again. <i>Impressive</i>!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vpRs6debz6Y/TxDlnPB5LMI/AAAAAAAADjU/OST7Lm-Ifoc/s1600/CastleChair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vpRs6debz6Y/TxDlnPB5LMI/AAAAAAAADjU/OST7Lm-Ifoc/s320/CastleChair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Setting aside the wonder and mystique (<i>and the supposition by some that Edward was assisted by aliens</i>), the garden as a whole is serene and peaceful. The stone seats are actually comfortable,and the heart table is supposedly the largest valentine ever made (for the object of Ed's broken heart, who jilted him the day before they were supposed to get married). All in all, this is definitely a stop that I enjoyed. It's fun to discuss the many different theories for how a single (relatively small) person could build something like this.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yFn3BQzJKm8/TxDvdHn9f2I/AAAAAAAADjc/DCPhqJuA-xs/s1600/HeartTable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yFn3BQzJKm8/TxDvdHn9f2I/AAAAAAAADjc/DCPhqJuA-xs/s320/HeartTable.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Today was "cold" by Florida standards - in the mid-60s with a chilly wind. Which made it comfortable for me to wear long pants to cover the knee-high compression socks. My feet and ankles tend to swell when we travel. I'm guessing it's a combination of the long flights and change of atmosphere, coupled with the hours and hours we spend riding around in a car. So in order to prevent sausage toes and elephant ankles, I brought compression socks on this trip. So far, so good. We'll see how the rest of the trip progresses. From here, we're heading down the Keys to tour and spend the night in Key West.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-90647279660442513852012-01-02T20:02:00.066-09:002012-01-03T20:58:44.578-09:00Florida Connection - DavieBefore Crazy-Man Greg does his supreme feats of running, we'll be puttering around the state. Heading south from Orlando, the first destination is the Davie/Fort Lauderdale area. The last time I was here, we were visiting Chad and Angie. The trip was loads of fun and over much too quickly. They've moved to Texas, so I won't get to see them this time, but everything we're doing brings back fond memories of the last trip. (In fact, at Disney, I kept telling Greg that we'd be on this ride or another one with them. It seems that many of the rides are similar to ones at Universal - hence my confusion, since Greg assures me that we've never been to Disney Hollywood before this trip.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Yv6oSHFFl8/TwPf9KSTtcI/AAAAAAAADh8/nuvvlM_4Nxk/s1600/LionSafari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Yv6oSHFFl8/TwPf9KSTtcI/AAAAAAAADh8/nuvvlM_4Nxk/s320/LionSafari.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Instead of doing Billie's Airboat tour of the Everglades, this time we went on a Lion Safari. <b><i>I know! </i></b> I couldn't believe we were going on safari in the middle of Florida either! It was pretty tame (sitting inside the car, driving through an animal park - and all the dangerous ones (the lions) had extra fences between us and them), but we got to see lots of animals and Greg took bucket-loads of pictures. Before we even started the tour, we got to watch a mama turtle laying eggs and burying them. Greg notified someone at the park, since the new nest is beneath a picnic table.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OipnKlHSouc/TwPg3j07ziI/AAAAAAAADiI/fX9Owf0cdks/s1600/MamaTurtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OipnKlHSouc/TwPg3j07ziI/AAAAAAAADiI/fX9Owf0cdks/s320/MamaTurtle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I love road-trips in the Lower 48. Lots more than two directions to go, and six general destinations. When we were talking about where to go, Greg mentioned one area and said it might be too far away. But on examination, the distance there is less than what we drive to get to Squirrel Creek (we go there camping almost every year) or Fairbanks (some 350+ miles north). So it'll take a couple hours - that's nothing more (and certainly less, sometimes) than what we've done back home. We also don't have rest stops. I mean, there are gas stations where you can get out, stretch, use the restroom, and get snacks, but nothing as elaborate as the rest stations here in Florida. (Our other rest stops are just paved parking lots with outhouses at one end - at least I don't have to pee on the side of the road, I suppose.) There are all kinds of amenities, including a windshield washer - which is really just a spray of water so you can use your wipers to clean off extra bugs. (I guess so you don't have to use windshield wiper fluid?) I think it's pretty spiffy - if only other drivers would be a little more courteous, so when someone is trying to leave they'd let us out of our parking spot. Oh well. What's an extra 15 minutes when you're on vacation anyway, right?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-km1dwu2m6yk/TwPhxo_uYqI/AAAAAAAADiU/4tXbAUs4J6s/s1600/WashMe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-km1dwu2m6yk/TwPhxo_uYqI/AAAAAAAADiU/4tXbAUs4J6s/s320/WashMe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm really enjoying the weather right now. The last two days have been in the 70s, and weather back home has slipped to the zero (and below) region. I'm hoping it warms up before we get home again, otherwise I'm going to be miserable. But that's a worry for later. I've got days and <b><i>days</i></b> until I'll let myself worry about that... I love that there are still blooming flowers and green vegetation here. I won't see that back home until May or June.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SloKz9BQd4s/TwPjOpMadJI/AAAAAAAADig/NPEhSaLckf8/s1600/FLJanFlora1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SloKz9BQd4s/TwPjOpMadJI/AAAAAAAADig/NPEhSaLckf8/s320/FLJanFlora1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ6j7on3wuM/TwPjQeffzmI/AAAAAAAADio/tvM3CyX4xhU/s1600/FLJanFlora2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ6j7on3wuM/TwPjQeffzmI/AAAAAAAADio/tvM3CyX4xhU/s320/FLJanFlora2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Last stop before dinner was to Wolf Lake in Davie. Greg wanted to get in a run, and that was a gorgeous place to get it done. Tomorrow we're off to see they Coral Castle and the Keys. Another long day in the car, but lots of fun things to see.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KePCIuAhync/TwPmIWJToYI/AAAAAAAADi0/YOJAAC7qkBo/s1600/WolfPark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KePCIuAhync/TwPmIWJToYI/AAAAAAAADi0/YOJAAC7qkBo/s320/WolfPark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-45529858622329250912012-01-01T20:30:00.067-09:002012-01-02T21:07:49.884-09:00Florida Connection - the New YearWe're traveling to Florida because Greg is off his rocker. I mean nutso. I guess I really mean totally crazy. What else would you call it when someone signs up to run a 1/2 marathon, followed by a marathon the very next day? And later decides that's not quite enough so he'll start the racing one day earlier with a 5K. Three races, three days, four medals. He gets an extra one because that's supposed to make up for the fact that he belongs in the loony bin - it's the Goofy medal, given to any locos out there that think running a 1/2 and full marathon back-to-back sounds like it could be fun, so gee let's sign up... I really wish I'd upped the life insurance before we got here.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HPeFc9PwZXA/TwKVu0Z_DQI/AAAAAAAADhA/t9HlfZO4bCM/s1600/DisneyTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HPeFc9PwZXA/TwKVu0Z_DQI/AAAAAAAADhA/t9HlfZO4bCM/s320/DisneyTree.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Since the races are held at Disney in Florida, we decided to take a couple extra days and see some of the sights. I mean, if you're going to be traveling for almost 20 hours, crammed like sardines in the tiny seats on the airplanes, racing from one gate to the next, for three different flights... we may as well spend a couple more days to make the pain worth it. (At this point, I can only imagine how Greg is going to feel after 3 days of races, followed immediately by 20 more hours of cramped travel. I should make sure we have plenty of drugs. Not sure if it'd be better to have them for me or for him, but I'll get that worked out over the next couple days.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TrycOlONDYE/TwKV62odT8I/AAAAAAAADhM/oaUd_m1zQWo/s1600/MsPiggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TrycOlONDYE/TwKV62odT8I/AAAAAAAADhM/oaUd_m1zQWo/s320/MsPiggy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>It's absolutely amazing to go from single digit temperatures to 70 degrees. It's so nice to spend the day wandering around in shorts, t-shirt, and sandals. And when evening hits... well, the temperature hasn't dropped that much, so a light vest or jacket works great to beat the chill. If we'd been home, I'm not sure we'd've gone anywhere, because I just don't want to deal with the below zero temps after dark. No way could I stand to be outside watching fireworks at midnight - hoping the neighbors ignore the 200' rule and light some off so I could see them through the window would've had to be good enough for me. But instead we're in sunny Florida, and spending time in the car arguing about how high we should go with the air conditioner. (I'm still a wuss, so if it's up too high I'll be cold. Greg could live in a igloo and when there's sun, he'd want cold air blowing on him.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5dWJLw_T6U/TwKXonRSbAI/AAAAAAAADhY/FbI3mU2KkXw/s1600/Fireworks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5dWJLw_T6U/TwKXonRSbAI/AAAAAAAADhY/FbI3mU2KkXw/s320/Fireworks1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t70jubjUgr8/TwKX03dZnxI/AAAAAAAADhk/SG0fgcLxnKY/s1600/Fireworks2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t70jubjUgr8/TwKX03dZnxI/AAAAAAAADhk/SG0fgcLxnKY/s320/Fireworks2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We arrived in Orlando for New Year's Eve, and decided that spending the evening at Disney Hollywood sounded like our best option. Apparently lots of other people thought the same thing. We wandered around checking out displays and rides, trying to avoid overly large crowds and bumping into people. The fireworks were lovely - it's been a long time since I've watched fireworks outside without some part of my body freezing. The only drawback was leaving the Disney property. For all the work and effort they put into managing crowds in the park, they're sadly lacking when hordes of people are leaving. Everyone is released to the parking lot, and that's it. Disney could take some notes for how to handle that kind of thing from the folks that run the Alaska State Fair. Now, that's one super-organized party. It's never taken anyone <i>two hours</i> to leave the property for the fair, like it did for us to leave Disney. That was just asinine. But it was the only blemish on a fun, if tiring, day. We'll continue our tourist-ing throughout the week, and return to Orlando the following Thursday for all the racing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZR61gy0DtMU/TwKZ6NTNxRI/AAAAAAAADhw/GnaP0EYfD_A/s1600/GregNMe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZR61gy0DtMU/TwKZ6NTNxRI/AAAAAAAADhw/GnaP0EYfD_A/s320/GregNMe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Happy New Year! Hope your celebrations were filled with family, friends, and loads of good cheer!!!Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-60144496839156338072011-10-31T22:57:00.003-08:002011-11-01T00:07:14.785-08:00Time for Glasses AgainI'm wearing my glasses today. I only wear glasses when my eyes need a break from my contacts - so maybe a few weeks a year, at the most. I don't like not being able to use my peripheral vision. And I don't know how many times today I've glanced down, only to realize <b><i>I can't see</i></b> and have to actually move my head. These are some of the reasons I wear my extended-wear contacts much too long (<i>and then have to wear my glasses for a week or so before I can put in a new pair of contacts</i>). I also love being able to read the glowing, digital clock when I stumble back from the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning. And it's frustrating to forget that I'm blind (<i>I'm not very clear headed in the mornings, and I'm already grumpy - just ask Greg</i>), only to realize it when I stub my toes or bruise a shin. Exercising is also even more of a chore, since wiping the sweat from my face (<i>which I need to do quite often</i>) either shifts the glasses - causing vertigo - or I can't get it all and have to endure hot, salty, sweat pouring down the sides of my face and leaking into my eyes. I could go on, but since I'm going to wear these dratted things all week, I'd rather not focus much more on <b>Why I Hate Wearing Glasses</b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NVwxMXBBEs/Tq-n2_1mnMI/AAAAAAAADgg/ccw2hAaB4jY/s1600/IMGP6910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NVwxMXBBEs/Tq-n2_1mnMI/AAAAAAAADgg/ccw2hAaB4jY/s320/IMGP6910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>But it was way past time to give my eyes a break, so now I'm wearing glasses for the week. And tomorrow I have to go to the DMV to get a new license. Mine is expired. And not by a day or two. Try three weeks. So feel free to assume that I haven't been pulled over or taken to jail in the last three weeks. You may also rightfully assume that I have not been to the liquor store. Otherwise, I would've known (<i>and fixed</i>) the problem before last Saturday's derby bout.<br />
<br />
I was prepped and ready for the bout - made sure I had my ID, some cash, and the tickets. We went early - although next time I have to go even earlier, since the place was packed. Sold out again, even in the new, bigger arena. Anyhow. As we're being carded so we can go into the arena on the wet side, I was told (politely, yet firmly) that they could not allow me in because my license had expired. What?!? Sure 'nuff, I've had my birthday this year, and didn't even realize that I needed to get my license renewed. Oh, bother!<br />
<br />
So I got out of line and headed to the dry side. It's much smaller over there, and the perspective is different. I hadn't thought of it before, but there's a whole lot of people on the "wet" side of derby. It's probably 2/3 - 3/4 of the seating. I wonder if that implies something. We're a rowdy bunch. (<i>Anchorage derby in general, not just me and my friends.</i>) The wet side allows underage persons - so long as minors are accompanied by legal guardians - so not everyone there is imbibing in tasty beverages. Wet side gets the taller bleacher seating (<i>haven't seen anybody fall of yet, although one gal almost toppled off as she was trying to climb on from the backside - and it was before derby even started, so i don't think she was (too) impaired</i>), more sets of bleachers, and most of the reserved seats and tables are in here too. The only other derby I've attended outside of Rage City was in Washington, and there was no alcohol there, so I don't know if it's a good comparison - I mean, aside from the smashing, brawling sport of derby, that is.<br />
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I'm not sure what that says about derby, or Anchorage derby, or me. I just know I was disappointed to be shunted over to the dry side. Fortunately, I know a photographer that has free rein of the place, so he helped me make my way over to the fun side. (<i>Wink, wink, nudge, nudge - thanks, Honey!!</i>) Where all my friends were. But by that time, there were only a couple seats left - so the two newbies we brought, who hadn't seen a game yet, still didn't get to see a whole game. Next time, I promise. I'll go earlier, and my license won't be expired.<br />
<br />
So now the $5 question is: Will they let me take my glasses off for my new license picture? I mean, I'd rather just keep the crappy picture I have now, but I think I could only do that if I renewed before it actually expired. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eF4qYh5hTro/Tq-n-oT5ZBI/AAAAAAAADgo/aXuPQNEErKs/s1600/IMGP6920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eF4qYh5hTro/Tq-n-oT5ZBI/AAAAAAAADgo/aXuPQNEErKs/s320/IMGP6920.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-49653464438907394102011-10-31T22:05:00.003-08:002014-09-05T00:01:07.425-08:00Picking Up Where I Left OffIt's been 3 months since I've actively blogged. Lots of posts that I'll get to - in date order, so you might have to back track a bit to catch up, if anyone's still reading this. I'm not sure why I lost the motivation for posting. Some may have to do with Facebook. Since that's so immediate and I upload pictures almost instantly, the story is already out there. So the blog becomes a bit redundant.<br />
<br />
The question becomes: Is this forum outdated? Lord knows I don't blog for the massive fan-base. It's friends and family that follow my ramblings here. Since I'm primarily a lurker on Facebook, there's more insight into what's going on in my life with the blog. And that was the point in the beginning. A way to share what happens in my normal course of being with those that I care about that are far away.<br />
<br />
So for now, it seems that I will find some motivation to continue this public journal. Thank you for waiting.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-21677553919835156782011-07-21T23:46:00.084-08:002011-08-15T01:40:17.361-08:00Sister SoireeA month or so ago, I got a phone call from M. As we were chatting, she mentioned that she might be able to come visit me this summer. <i><b>SO *stoked*!!!</b></i> I was able to visit for a bit with M last October, but I always enjoy visits from my sisters. I'm fortunate that Jeannea and Sara work in Alaska for the summers, so I get to see them two times a year. Not so fortunate with Sheri and Amy. If I'm lucky, I might see them once a year or every other year. The added bonus for this visit is that Sheri was able to come for the weekend too. <b><i>Sweet!</i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-owNQ5MUV7Bk/TkjYFEWUllI/AAAAAAAADfk/gdQDsvDa7n4/s1600/Sisters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-owNQ5MUV7Bk/TkjYFEWUllI/AAAAAAAADfk/gdQDsvDa7n4/s320/Sisters.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So what do you plan when you're having family visit for a while and want to do something fun? Well... camping, of course! I've been able to take Sheri camping before (when I was lucky enough that her work sent her to Alaska for a short while), but this is the first time we've gone camping with M. Yay!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5kwROZ1ACU/Tkjcm3S7pTI/AAAAAAAADfo/I5X6Za3dKZc/s1600/MorningM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5kwROZ1ACU/Tkjcm3S7pTI/AAAAAAAADfo/I5X6Za3dKZc/s320/MorningM.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> M loves the morning</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVpoc7qAhVM/Tkjco8M08VI/AAAAAAAADfs/opMOYVKV0zs/s1600/MorningSheri.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVpoc7qAhVM/Tkjco8M08VI/AAAAAAAADfs/opMOYVKV0zs/s320/MorningSheri.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Sheri only looks like she's blowing me a kiss - really she's making a</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>smartass comment because I'm taking her picture</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkWWMoIIbBg/TkjcqdgDCmI/AAAAAAAADfw/sTXBCWK906s/s1600/MyGirls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkWWMoIIbBg/TkjcqdgDCmI/AAAAAAAADfw/sTXBCWK906s/s320/MyGirls.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Some of my most favorite people</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w_VSzcOnJl8/TkjcrklL5UI/AAAAAAAADf0/OabHnS48NTg/s1600/NiteView.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w_VSzcOnJl8/TkjcrklL5UI/AAAAAAAADf0/OabHnS48NTg/s320/NiteView.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Summit Lake from the campsite</i></div>I had so much fun with both my sisters. It's always a blast. I horde each day and the time we spend together, knowing that it'll pass all too quickly, they'll be gone soon, and it'll be an inordinately long time before I get to see them again. Camping, hiking, rafting (for M and Greg), shopping, and visiting. We talked about how nice it would be to live closer together. How we'd have spontaneous barbecues, go shopping together, call each other for help with the little things... It's such a lovely vision, and I hope that someday we all live closer together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pck-d2vimmQ/TkjfeqcIzrI/AAAAAAAADf4/DV5pbayDoqk/s1600/HikeSisters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pck-d2vimmQ/TkjfeqcIzrI/AAAAAAAADf4/DV5pbayDoqk/s320/HikeSisters.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Lake view from the hike</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XU1_Vggbns8/TkjfgaLvwVI/AAAAAAAADf8/MPjLQZxhv_M/s1600/Rafting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XU1_Vggbns8/TkjfgaLvwVI/AAAAAAAADf8/MPjLQZxhv_M/s320/Rafting.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>M getting ready for rafting</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GCOLvk1SkUU/Tkjfi-yc-KI/AAAAAAAADgA/84VUV8CaqEg/s1600/SisterLove.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GCOLvk1SkUU/Tkjfi-yc-KI/AAAAAAAADgA/84VUV8CaqEg/s320/SisterLove.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Two of my girls</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ns9WEEpZCw/Tkjfk1r8ZlI/AAAAAAAADgE/FQCx_1EDEWI/s1600/Smores.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ns9WEEpZCw/Tkjfk1r8ZlI/AAAAAAAADgE/FQCx_1EDEWI/s320/Smores.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>M making delicious s'mores for us</i></div>So much laughing; so much companionship; so much love. I had such a good time with my sisters. Every morning, I'd think about how time was going too fast and I'd better hang on to every precious minute. Every night I was content with a day well spent, but sad that I have one less day to spend with them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQLxF3WxtLg/Tkjly_3hXxI/AAAAAAAADgI/6DdU80f1A7w/s1600/MnGreg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQLxF3WxtLg/Tkjly_3hXxI/AAAAAAAADgI/6DdU80f1A7w/s320/MnGreg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yGt6AUpcNas/Tkjl1k-Y5BI/AAAAAAAADgM/a2W9j062qwU/s1600/SheriRobe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yGt6AUpcNas/Tkjl1k-Y5BI/AAAAAAAADgM/a2W9j062qwU/s320/SheriRobe.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I'm so glad Amy and Sheri came to visit me. I always suffer from a little depression when my family leaves me, and this was no exception. My only consolation is that I'll be seeing Jeannea and Sara when they get done working for the summer. Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-52359860044779789232011-07-09T23:38:00.054-08:002011-08-06T23:51:28.279-08:00Eklutna RideI've been attempting to ride my bike a bit more this summer. I'm slow, and any kind of incline is a real effort, but I generally have a good time. When my friend Shawn suggested a ride around Eklutna Lake, I figured it'd be a good ride - some exercise, and a chance to visit with a friend.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kBJ57JsEPRo/Tj3DfaxwVOI/AAAAAAAADfI/FuNGsUFEP34/s1600/Vista.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kBJ57JsEPRo/Tj3DfaxwVOI/AAAAAAAADfI/FuNGsUFEP34/s320/Vista.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The last time I was here, we were camping. I mostly stayed at the camp site and enjoyed the company there. I've heard of the hiking and biking trails, and Sheri even did a little kayaking with Greg, but this is the first time I've explored any of those options. (I'm not nearly ready for the kayaking/canoeing bit yet...)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_Dv2J7LYTs/Tj3EMPHP7SI/AAAAAAAADfM/MophjX4yttQ/s1600/Biker1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_Dv2J7LYTs/Tj3EMPHP7SI/AAAAAAAADfM/MophjX4yttQ/s320/Biker1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ct7z9nye3-o/Tj3EMzp2l2I/AAAAAAAADfQ/IbV7u_rP4eI/s1600/Biker2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ct7z9nye3-o/Tj3EMzp2l2I/AAAAAAAADfQ/IbV7u_rP4eI/s320/Biker2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I have to admit that I was anxious about the ride. I know I'm not skilled, and I'm definitely out of shape. But Shawn made it easy to relax and have fun. There were plenty of places to stop and explore - and I took advantage of as many as I could.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6a3he6pxb2E/Tj3EmFyqWkI/AAAAAAAADfU/FRXacyGVJvY/s1600/Abode1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6a3he6pxb2E/Tj3EmFyqWkI/AAAAAAAADfU/FRXacyGVJvY/s320/Abode1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2sH5-1FqIZw/Tj3EoTJadlI/AAAAAAAADfY/GyjyYSRZPiA/s1600/Abode2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2sH5-1FqIZw/Tj3EoTJadlI/AAAAAAAADfY/GyjyYSRZPiA/s320/Abode2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We biked six miles out, then had a wonderful lunch (provided by Shawn) sitting on the beach and enjoying the view. While there was plenty more trail to ride, I was starting to worry about the trek back. As far as we go, I have to come back. There's no way on this ride for me to call Greg to come pick me up. (That's what I did riding home from work a while back - there was a tremendous head wind, and I was just <u><b><i>so</i></b></u> tired... so about a mile and a half from home I caved and called Greg to come get me. I know. I'm a wimp.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMZns-B761Y/Tj5CfSq5OBI/AAAAAAAADfc/BgatDlKl6sA/s1600/Vista2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMZns-B761Y/Tj5CfSq5OBI/AAAAAAAADfc/BgatDlKl6sA/s320/Vista2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>All in all, we rode 12 miles today. I'm pretty proud of that. Granted, we took plenty of breaks, and on the way back I had to walk my bike up several hills, but I didn't have a heart attack; I didn't wimp out and walk the whole way back (just up a few hills, and no more than I absolutely had to); and I had a wonderful time visiting with Shawn. To celebrate, we had dinner at Kriner's Diner and I took home one of their super-delicious cinnamon rolls. <i>Yeah, baby!</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sMPi9VTJZ8/Tj5DZxT7RCI/AAAAAAAADfg/dH4slyTtov8/s1600/Bikers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sMPi9VTJZ8/Tj5DZxT7RCI/AAAAAAAADfg/dH4slyTtov8/s320/Bikers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-89768486408609611522011-07-07T22:04:00.049-08:002011-08-06T14:36:09.413-08:00Squirrel Creek, FinisAh, the last bit. Sad to see a fun weekend come to an end, but at this point I'm <i>definitely</i> looking forward to a shower...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zfnvk3_lyYQ/Tj291f2DaAI/AAAAAAAADeo/WQKv-2bhWeE/s1600/3-PhoneAFriend.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zfnvk3_lyYQ/Tj291f2DaAI/AAAAAAAADeo/WQKv-2bhWeE/s320/3-PhoneAFriend.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>We made it back to camp, only to find that Squirrel Creek wasn't near as rainy as Valdez - which is a good omen for a BIG fire! It helps that we've got a lot of wood left, and the goal is to burn the box before we go too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ytwi-2Rkiw/Tj2-gcb_pRI/AAAAAAAADes/9v3ykvV2WR8/s1600/3-BoxDemise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ytwi-2Rkiw/Tj2-gcb_pRI/AAAAAAAADes/9v3ykvV2WR8/s320/3-BoxDemise.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJBU6PqD80w/Tj3AIxiFRlI/AAAAAAAADe8/JPrILv3ZW8M/s1600/3-HotEmbers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJBU6PqD80w/Tj3AIxiFRlI/AAAAAAAADe8/JPrILv3ZW8M/s320/3-HotEmbers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was a weekend filled with friends and visiting; games and geocaching; fun and relaxing. How can you beat that?!? We even had some tunes and dancing...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zO8ndo_jHKE/Tj2_YrHbLgI/AAAAAAAADew/0Pqi149abrE/s1600/3-AmyDoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zO8ndo_jHKE/Tj2_YrHbLgI/AAAAAAAADew/0Pqi149abrE/s320/3-AmyDoll.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7ai8UMsq7w/Tj2_5fwmN6I/AAAAAAAADe4/5YQ6UtIKWm4/s1600/3-FunTimes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7ai8UMsq7w/Tj2_5fwmN6I/AAAAAAAADe4/5YQ6UtIKWm4/s320/3-FunTimes.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DyXSaMp1uHE/Tj2_ZyYmPmI/AAAAAAAADe0/Da8f5TPLlUg/s1600/3-FireDancing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DyXSaMp1uHE/Tj2_ZyYmPmI/AAAAAAAADe0/Da8f5TPLlUg/s320/3-FireDancing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The last day, we took our time packing up - mostly because it was nice to not be in a rush, but also because we had to finish burning the box. The journey home was peppered with stops - for geochaching, of course. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njcCTKZIz8A/Tj3BIrmpYmI/AAAAAAAADfA/FQa7Tv1A2PM/s1600/3-MountainView2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njcCTKZIz8A/Tj3BIrmpYmI/AAAAAAAADfA/FQa7Tv1A2PM/s320/3-MountainView2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4W7ql_LFjs/Tj3BJxNUJDI/AAAAAAAADfE/8ECAoPaZrD8/s1600/3-MountainViwe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4W7ql_LFjs/Tj3BJxNUJDI/AAAAAAAADfE/8ECAoPaZrD8/s320/3-MountainViwe.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>All in all, a beautiful weekend (even with the rainy bits), spent with family and friends. I can't think of a better way to spend my time...Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-58205297983121499272011-07-06T23:02:00.079-08:002011-08-08T19:12:00.887-08:00Squirrel Creek, Part IIOne of the reasons I enjoy camping at Squirrel Creek is that we usually take one day and go road-trippin' to Valdez. We stop along the way to see Worthington Glacier and get pictures at the waterfalls. And I have the extra special added bonus of getting to see Sara for a little while. Yay!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZNRy61-Fdc/TjJa_HUepkI/AAAAAAAADeU/uqDmVVDqPaw/s1600/2-WaterfallFriends.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZNRy61-Fdc/TjJa_HUepkI/AAAAAAAADeU/uqDmVVDqPaw/s320/2-WaterfallFriends.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The glacier has receded significantly over the last few years. Used to be that you could walk 5 minutes off the paved trail and be standing next to blue ice taller than you. Now it's a bit of a hike before you get close - but it's still visible (unlike Portage Glacier, where you have to take one of the little cruises to get within binocular distance).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lIdC8oTuAWo/TjJhHn-3jTI/AAAAAAAADec/lZHe2l8Owg0/s1600/2-Glacier3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lIdC8oTuAWo/TjJhHn-3jTI/AAAAAAAADec/lZHe2l8Owg0/s320/2-Glacier3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eIaBtxm8fwQ/TjJEEIxfMxI/AAAAAAAADeE/Xi1w3XY9gXI/s1600/2-Glacier1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eIaBtxm8fwQ/TjJEEIxfMxI/AAAAAAAADeE/Xi1w3XY9gXI/s200/2-Glacier1.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMMDS9ZTlx8/TjJEFeLQYeI/AAAAAAAADeI/t_3s8vSU6k0/s1600/2-Glacier2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMMDS9ZTlx8/TjJEFeLQYeI/AAAAAAAADeI/t_3s8vSU6k0/s200/2-Glacier2.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>Nita and I opted to wait at the car for the hikers, and to pass the time she fed the birds. Seagulls. A whole herd of them. Not sure what seagulls are doing hanging out at a glacier, but it was fun to watch. I admit to ducking a couple times, and covering my head. Didn't want to get pooped on when it's going to be a while before I could get cleaned up... <i>(Well, really didn't want to get pooped on at all, but especially not if I have to wear it for another hour or two.)</i> I overheard some tourists talking about how it feels just like home, because Utah's state bird is the sea gull. I wanted to rush over and see if they knew any of my family that's from there, but I refrained... =)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--cJYOpvL1Sw/TjJbx-0XaGI/AAAAAAAADeY/BJdWM9nAOgE/s1600/2-Critters2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--cJYOpvL1Sw/TjJbx-0XaGI/AAAAAAAADeY/BJdWM9nAOgE/s320/2-Critters2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Valdez is absolutely beautiful - even in the rain. We've been lucky some years to have sunshine, and then the vista is stunning! But I wouldn't live there in the winter. I've heard they can get 10 - 20 feet of snow - so much that people have to tunnel out of their houses to get anyplace. No thanks!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ENyLJ3-U170/TjJE8Xy3QaI/AAAAAAAADeM/B3bsBWTsuII/s1600/2-Valdez1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ENyLJ3-U170/TjJE8Xy3QaI/AAAAAAAADeM/B3bsBWTsuII/s320/2-Valdez1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKcXGv0MAHU/TjJE9TLuATI/AAAAAAAADeQ/ac-bA-5U4UM/s1600/2-Valdez2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKcXGv0MAHU/TjJE9TLuATI/AAAAAAAADeQ/ac-bA-5U4UM/s320/2-Valdez2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Sara's work is in the lower right corner of the 2nd picture</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rVPbMSvpMtA/TjJk1nqBayI/AAAAAAAADeg/bxj6COwQ16c/s1600/2-Valdez3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rVPbMSvpMtA/TjJk1nqBayI/AAAAAAAADeg/bxj6COwQ16c/s320/2-Valdez3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We visited, did some sight-seeing, and got to eat dinner with Sara. Through it all, there was a fine mist - not really rain, but grey clouds and enough dampness to eventually bead up on our clothes. When it was finally time to say goodbye, the heavens opened up and there was torrential rain. Methinks that might've been the elements expressing my emotions... =) Anyhow. I intended to get our picture with a nice background (like a scenic mountain or somesuch), but settled for the parking lot with the burger joint where we had dinner.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JHqDcl-RuM/TjJmVm1UNgI/AAAAAAAADek/NK3vobomy0o/s1600/2-AmyDoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JHqDcl-RuM/TjJmVm1UNgI/AAAAAAAADek/NK3vobomy0o/s320/2-AmyDoll.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Heading back to camp the weather got milder and milder, until it was cloudy with no rain at all. Which is perfect weather to have a fire and roast marshmallows. And that's the way we ended our road-trippin' day. I've got a few more photos to share, so it looks like there'll be one more post about this utterly fantastic weekend. Yay!!Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-40853298711354953952011-07-05T23:01:00.087-08:002011-07-14T12:42:44.774-08:00Squirrel Creek, Park II've been looking forward to the 4th of July weekend for <i>ages</i>! A long weekend (I took Friday off too), and we're going camping. Yay! Working a full day, then loading up for camping generally means a late start. But who cares? since I don't have to work on Friday anyway. Sweet!! We loaded up an old friend for the last trip...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aM4QzlzZyeQ/Th1YdtLn8hI/AAAAAAAADdo/dzKf0xMHRpg/s1600/1-LoadUp1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aM4QzlzZyeQ/Th1YdtLn8hI/AAAAAAAADdo/dzKf0xMHRpg/s320/1-LoadUp1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k8jZltB74PA/Th1YhChepmI/AAAAAAAADds/o3tUVLNJXNs/s1600/1-LoadUp2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k8jZltB74PA/Th1YhChepmI/AAAAAAAADds/o3tUVLNJXNs/s320/1-LoadUp2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Years ago, Greg made a box to fit his ladder rack so we could bring extra wood and have BIG fires. This is the last campout for the box. Fitting then, that the first and last trips are both to Squirrel Creek. Between packing, mounting the box, and loading the gear, we didn't leave until almost 10pm. Kinda late, especially for this trip, but what the hell? We can always sleep in once the tents are up...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4uckqQuWwaQ/Th6mGRiF5LI/AAAAAAAADdw/w37RfI2W0Zc/s1600/1-SquirrelCreekLake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4uckqQuWwaQ/Th6mGRiF5LI/AAAAAAAADdw/w37RfI2W0Zc/s320/1-SquirrelCreekLake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We arrived on location at 3am, had the tents up by 4am, then sat around the fire until 7am. It's been absolutely <i>forever</i> since I've been up for more than 24 hours. Must be a sign of getting old - I used to be able to stay up late and get up early for days on end without it seeming to impact me. Now, a solid 8 hours is good (I like 10 better), but I can survive on 5 or 6 for a day or two. No more than that without going totally nutso, having a psychotic breakdown, and collapsing into a sleep coma for three days of recovery. Twenty-some years ago, 40 seemed ancient - as if those old fogies are ready to push up daisies, just put 'em in a wheelchair and get some diapers right now - but now that I'm almost there, I don't feel that much different from when I was 25 or so (except I need more sleep)... Anyhow. I digress.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NTpAIf2ot9g/Th6q1S4Ow8I/AAAAAAAADd0/iGMmUAycZ3w/s1600/1-BandanaGang.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NTpAIf2ot9g/Th6q1S4Ow8I/AAAAAAAADd0/iGMmUAycZ3w/s320/1-BandanaGang.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hdE2u4m5rcI/Th6q3FqxSXI/AAAAAAAADd4/mSUqNTMuBqA/s1600/1-Gamers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hdE2u4m5rcI/Th6q3FqxSXI/AAAAAAAADd4/mSUqNTMuBqA/s320/1-Gamers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The next couple days are filled with fun, fires, and friends. Such a wonderful weekend!! We even satisfied another "tradition". At a previous campout - in the same camp ground, at the same site, even - we found that squirrels can (and will) eat through the plastic to get at the licorice in the 5# Costco tub. This year, we found that they'll eat through the Gladware bin to get to the fruits and nuts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HotbX7-BrV8/Th6tanI--eI/AAAAAAAADd8/hw0jLKMirUs/s1600/1-Critters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HotbX7-BrV8/Th6tanI--eI/AAAAAAAADd8/hw0jLKMirUs/s320/1-Critters.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I have several more pictures that I want to share - I'll try not to be too boring - so I'll add them to the next post. Besides, that includes the next adventure: heading to Valdez to see Sara. Campfire, fresh air, falling asleep to the sound of running water... Can't think of a better way to spend the weekend.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5b5fW_zK6zk/Th6u5SjuzQI/AAAAAAAADeA/OuE_nv1G9Jw/s1600/1-BigFire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5b5fW_zK6zk/Th6u5SjuzQI/AAAAAAAADeA/OuE_nv1G9Jw/s320/1-BigFire.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-29265365443029261012011-06-19T23:24:00.129-08:002011-07-07T00:11:11.159-08:00Walking to WhittierIt's been a couple years since we've participated in the Walk to Whittier, so when I heard about it this year I wanted to go. It's a 2 and a half mile walk through a tunnel that connects Whittier to the rest of the world. The tunnel is one lane wide, so traffic alternates direction into and out of town. It's a very large lane - big enough that buses, trains, and even boats can go through.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ynjrsBS-RUE/ThVQWLOqa8I/AAAAAAAADcs/_IognmvP5aw/s1600/AllOfUs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ynjrsBS-RUE/ThVQWLOqa8I/AAAAAAAADcs/_IognmvP5aw/s320/AllOfUs.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was a cloudy, drizzly day - but since we spent a majority of the time walking through the tunnel, the weather didn't matter so much. I had a lovely time visiting with our friend Shawn, as we trekked the terrain.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Nt-PRE9xo/ThVR7KaniiI/AAAAAAAADdE/CH400wusdls/s1600/Whittier-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Nt-PRE9xo/ThVR7KaniiI/AAAAAAAADdE/CH400wusdls/s320/Whittier-17.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1EpECcwgygA/ThVRX1lI4YI/AAAAAAAADc0/4HuUFe81LnY/s1600/WhittierSign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1EpECcwgygA/ThVRX1lI4YI/AAAAAAAADc0/4HuUFe81LnY/s320/WhittierSign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Once we made it to town, we had a couple hours to explore before it was time to catch the bus. Another benefit of this walk (besides that it's cool and can be an enjoyable substitute for some exercise) is that after all the walking, we get to eat and shop, then don't have to walk back to the car.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z5O2mHx6QkA/ThVRWk0QwRI/AAAAAAAADcw/4daNxuDudAA/s1600/Greg-Shawn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z5O2mHx6QkA/ThVRWk0QwRI/AAAAAAAADcw/4daNxuDudAA/s320/Greg-Shawn.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The rain was more like a fine mist, as if we were walking through super-saturated clouds. Never enough to be uncomfortable, but what seemed like a fine layer of dew on everything. We must've walked pretty quickly, because we were second in line at our choice of restaurant. Let me tell you, fresh fish and chips is hard to beat!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GNQLOqYE64I/ThVRc8wJWEI/AAAAAAAADc4/WxonkVQkYqU/s1600/Building.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GNQLOqYE64I/ThVRc8wJWEI/AAAAAAAADc4/WxonkVQkYqU/s320/Building.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>From there, we wandered the town. Whittier isn't very large - you can see most of it right from the marina. We decided to explore one of the derelict buildings, just behind the local inn and up a small rise. I love architecture - old buildings, new ones, interesting lines, etc. <i>(This place reminds me of an insane asylum from back in the day, where someone was probably tortured and murdered horribly, and now that person (or those people) haunt the site of their doom.)</i> Aside from that, Greg has a new-found fascination with graffiti, ever since he watched <b><i>Exit Through the Gift Shop</i></b>. (I have to say it was an interesting flick, but I don't think it's really a documentary. I think it's filmed in the same style and could be based on true events, but is a well crafted make-believe tale.) I think that graffiti is definitely a form of vandalism, but if I have to look at it, I'd prefer to look at the more artistic applications. I don't need to know that <i>John loves Ginger</i>, or that <i>Mary is a gang-banger</i>. I like the dinosaurs and deep sea creatures that peppered the inside and outside of this building (in the picture above, on the lower right corner is a T-Rex).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zj7cIX0ufQ/ThVReGpM93I/AAAAAAAADc8/EwI7-vwmh3I/s1600/BuildingArt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zj7cIX0ufQ/ThVReGpM93I/AAAAAAAADc8/EwI7-vwmh3I/s320/BuildingArt.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We finished our exploring in time to make it to the fudge shop for a nice little treat before we boarded the bus... except the bus was late. Which wouldn't have been all that bad, except we're standing in the misty, drizzly, rain, and if we miss the tunnel, we're stuck in Whittier over night (it's the last tunnel going out for the day - one more coming in, then closed for the night).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9B0tkhX6aE/ThVRfHkyQLI/AAAAAAAADdA/GVf85QETBmo/s1600/Greg-Eric.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9B0tkhX6aE/ThVRfHkyQLI/AAAAAAAADdA/GVf85QETBmo/s320/Greg-Eric.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>While we were waiting, a friend we haven't seen in years pulled into the lot to go to the coffee shop right next door. Small world! Eric does commercial fishing out of Whittier now, and he'd just finished with some work and happened to stop by for some caffeine to keep him awake for a little while longer. It was great to catch up with him and find out what's new. It shouldn't surprise me that much anymore, that wherever we go Greg will find <i>someone</i> he knows. I'm much more anonymous, I suppose (and I'm fine with that).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mz9tnwD-7K4/ThVSA6Z8w5I/AAAAAAAADdI/UlSEpn8sX-I/s1600/Whittier-61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mz9tnwD-7K4/ThVSA6Z8w5I/AAAAAAAADdI/UlSEpn8sX-I/s320/Whittier-61.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I can hear the creepy music playing in the background, and if I stare at the picture hard enough, I think there are faces in the shadows of the windows. They only come out in the mist, and they're hungry. Good thing our bus made the last tunnel out... <i>(ooooh! I hope I haven't just given myself nightmares!)</i>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-76013275163114628912011-06-18T22:43:00.019-08:002011-06-20T22:32:47.367-08:00Greg's GoalGreg completed another half-marathon race today. He finished in 2:45 and change - just slightly longer than last year (time for last year was 2:30+ - see my post <a href="http://pennysdiatribe.blogspot.com/2010/06/mayors-marathon-run.html">here</a>). This is particularly amazing because he hasn't been doing as much training as he would've liked, so he anticipated a fair amount of walking and taking it easy <i>(as much as you can, when you're participating in a 13-mile race)</i>. Way to go, Greg!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vTRNkGjibiQ/Tf765tDJpdI/AAAAAAAADco/N4gahYzAi1M/s1600/RunFinish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vTRNkGjibiQ/Tf765tDJpdI/AAAAAAAADco/N4gahYzAi1M/s320/RunFinish.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>This puts him one step closer to competing in the Goofy (actually two races - a half marathon followed the next day by a full marathon - see more info <a href="http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/index?page=goofys-race-and-a-half-challenge">here</a>) this coming January in Florida. Disney, here we come!Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20948599.post-74472933034343234432011-06-02T22:08:00.014-08:002011-06-19T22:13:25.770-08:00BloomsI finished planting most of the rest of my flowers just before we went camping. Ran out of pots and dirt before I ran out of flowers. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with the rest of them soon, but I'm pleased that the ones I've done so far are blooming. I <i>love</i> the colors!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoTc7CGAubk/Tf7klWXTdlI/AAAAAAAADcc/ZGo5UPtVSPQ/s1600/Flower1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoTc7CGAubk/Tf7klWXTdlI/AAAAAAAADcc/ZGo5UPtVSPQ/s320/Flower1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKA21STSLQ4/Tf7kryq1wNI/AAAAAAAADcg/3LTzyoWKyo0/s1600/Flower2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKA21STSLQ4/Tf7kryq1wNI/AAAAAAAADcg/3LTzyoWKyo0/s320/Flower2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-au4xm-NCqIg/Tf7kyqyhFDI/AAAAAAAADck/m2p5CrT6FNU/s1600/FlowerPot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-au4xm-NCqIg/Tf7kyqyhFDI/AAAAAAAADck/m2p5CrT6FNU/s320/FlowerPot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641172910314754096noreply@blogger.com0