I have a weekend with almost nothing to do. Why? Because Aaron isn't around. He's down in Georgia with his family as his grandmother is very bad off. As in, the funeral will probibly be this week. So I'm taking advantage of this and cleaning house and generally loafing (the two can be mutually compatable). Basically, doing all the stuff I would normally do if he wasn't around... "distracting" me. With like, video games, you know.
#5 - By the way, this 1001 day segment started after I turned in a "final" draft of my book chapter. This means that it's one of the last drafts before the editor gets it. At least, that's what it seems like to me. Non?
#26 - Saturday I went down to the Farmers Market. Before I headed out, I called Claire up and told her I was heading there, and that she should join me. It was fun. We ended up doing lunch at LaCosta's. Actually, to use their rhetoric, it was Brunch. They don't do lunch. Only Brunch or dinner. She had Sweet Potato Pancakes and I had a Burrito filled with eggs and tofu and artechoke hearts and onions and peppers and good stuff covered is a sauce with a name sounding vaguely mexican but basically a fresh, slightly sweet salsa.
#37 - So, i went to the farmer's market, but left my bag on the table next to the door. This makes it 0/1 since the 1001 days started. (I brought it once to a FM prior to 101/1001)
#38 - Found a CSA farm in my area. There's only one. It's only operating from April to September (reasonable for the climate), but it's $600. That's about $20 per week. Which may be reasonable, but I don't know quite what the amount is that comes in a weekly box. I wouldn't normally spend $20 on produce at my local market (which tries to get local first, regional next, then from elsewhere) where I can be discerning as to what I purchase. I'll keep trying to look into it. We have so many small farms, but I guess most are monocropping.
#48 - Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson - Fun book review 2/30
As Aaron's gone, I'm reading a bunch. I just finished Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. I'm torn as to whether or not I like it. I think that at times, Stephenson gets hung up on the details, and at other times he forgets a detail, or seems to, based on the (il)logical turn of events. A character gets information that had only been released to another character. Someone is somewhere they shouldn't be. Things like that.
Either way, the story is a fun piece of cyberpunk. Governments are more or less disbanded, commercialism has taken over. The few governments that survive are only around because they have become a business In all of this, a high capacity Metaverse has developed where the user can interact with others in a user generated 3D world. Everything from finances to sword play. In short, it seems like Second Life.
The main character, Hiro Protagonist (lolocopterz), starts the book as a delivery guy for Casa Nostra (yes, that Casa Nostra) Pizza. He has a run in with a Kouriour (sic), named Y.T., while delivering pizza one night. This leads to a partnership in collecting information for the Central Intelligence Corporation (nee the CIA, now commercialized) that leads to the realization that viruses may not be exclusively biological or electronic, that Babylon and Sumer are more than a chapter in history books, and just what modern religion (Second Great Awakening ahoy!) is capable of.
The story was good, the characters were fun, the author assumes that the reader will assume. The descriptive passages, however, are awesome. Absolutely awesome.
84 and 86 - I bought 3 tomato plants at the Farmer's Market. I also bought Rosemary.
92 - In cleaning out my house, I went through all of my clothes and got rid of everything I haven't worn in the last year, didn't fit, or that I didn't like. 62 pieces of clothing are going to Goodwill, and 24 others (socks, underwear, torn jeans) are just going to be disposed. I feel like I should increase that task... Maybe I'll renew it after 500 days. Doesn't mean that I'll stop with my general clean out, though.
09 May 2008
Day 4 - 3 more down, 101 to go
Ok, so, I managed to read a book *and* go out to eat....
Last night before I went to bed, however, I did send a quick letter to my brother.
"Fun Book" Review 1 (of 30)
Coraline - Neil Gaiman
I borrowed this book from Aaron, expecting it to last me the day as i snagged snippits of it between laundry, dishes, and cleaning over the next few days. It is shorter, as it's aimed at children, so it wasn't going to take long. Little did I know that between laundry, dishes, cleaning, and running errands, it would be done by mid afternoon of the first day i had it in possession.
The cover boasts a blub by the New York Times: "One of the most frightening books ever written." That's stretching it a little. The author's own words, as my version contained a suppliment about Gaiman himself, are more exact "More than ten years ago I started to write a children's book...I wanted it to have a girl as a heroine, and I wanted it to be refreshingly creepy."
Refreshingly creepy does work. The book is set up somewhat like a fairy tale. The girl, unsatisfied with normality, discovers a passage to a world of superlatives. There she learns a lesson.
The girl's name is Coraline, and Coraline (age about 8-12) lives in a flat in England with her mother and father, who work with computers so they're often home but not there. Her father makes meals from dreaded recipes, and Coraline is supposed to be up to the odeous task of entertaining herself over summer break. Her neighbors are odd, and she's generally fed up with the world.
She discovers a passage to another world behind a blocked off door in her flat. Passing through it, she finds the same world, but not quite. She has an other-Mother there, as well as an other-Father, but they seem to be ... not quite right. The same goes for the neighbors. They all want to play with her, they all try to entertain her, all food tastes great, and she has everything that she wants.
Soon she finds that her other mother will not let her go home, and Coraline must try to outwit this world in an attempt to save others drawn into the web and get home.
The book is well written. It seems to have a childish sentance structure and vocabulary at times, but that's because it is a children's book. The story moves quickly, the world is limited, the characters are engaging and refreshing, and the settings are well described. All of this makes the book light and allows the reader to enjoy the story and not be bogged down with details.
I liked it.
Litton's
Restaurant 1/10
Last night, Aaron and I were hungry, but neither felt much like cooking. We had a few choices, grocery store sushi, Papa Murphey's Pizza, or (decided randomly) hamburgers at Litton's. We had been curious about the restaurant that has won all local "Best Hamburgers" and "Best Desserts" awards for the last 7 years (Knox News Sentinal, CityView Magazine, MetroPulse Alternative News Weekly). Neither of us had had hamburgers in a while, much less red meat, at least on my part. So I had meat for the second time this week already.
We arrived at 8:15, and the doors said that they closed at 8PM, but as someone left, we slipped in and joined a group of people waiting for tables. The host did not seem to mind seating another table, and as there were lots of large parties there (one with a guest in cap and gown), we figured we wouldn't keep them open by ourselves.
There were no small tables. So, the two of us sat at a table for 8. We got all comfortable, the waitress was awesome, actually laughing at Aaron's bad jokes ("I'm not drinking the water... just pouring it under the table"). She was just a sweetheart. The food, we each got a burger with onion rings, was *really* good. I had a plain burger with chedder cheese, Aaron had a "Thunder Road", loaded down with pimento cheese, jalapanos, and onions. They were really really good.
We couldn't get dessert... there was too much food.
Last night before I went to bed, however, I did send a quick letter to my brother.
"Fun Book" Review 1 (of 30)
Coraline - Neil Gaiman
I borrowed this book from Aaron, expecting it to last me the day as i snagged snippits of it between laundry, dishes, and cleaning over the next few days. It is shorter, as it's aimed at children, so it wasn't going to take long. Little did I know that between laundry, dishes, cleaning, and running errands, it would be done by mid afternoon of the first day i had it in possession.
The cover boasts a blub by the New York Times: "One of the most frightening books ever written." That's stretching it a little. The author's own words, as my version contained a suppliment about Gaiman himself, are more exact "More than ten years ago I started to write a children's book...I wanted it to have a girl as a heroine, and I wanted it to be refreshingly creepy."
Refreshingly creepy does work. The book is set up somewhat like a fairy tale. The girl, unsatisfied with normality, discovers a passage to a world of superlatives. There she learns a lesson.
The girl's name is Coraline, and Coraline (age about 8-12) lives in a flat in England with her mother and father, who work with computers so they're often home but not there. Her father makes meals from dreaded recipes, and Coraline is supposed to be up to the odeous task of entertaining herself over summer break. Her neighbors are odd, and she's generally fed up with the world.
She discovers a passage to another world behind a blocked off door in her flat. Passing through it, she finds the same world, but not quite. She has an other-Mother there, as well as an other-Father, but they seem to be ... not quite right. The same goes for the neighbors. They all want to play with her, they all try to entertain her, all food tastes great, and she has everything that she wants.
Soon she finds that her other mother will not let her go home, and Coraline must try to outwit this world in an attempt to save others drawn into the web and get home.
The book is well written. It seems to have a childish sentance structure and vocabulary at times, but that's because it is a children's book. The story moves quickly, the world is limited, the characters are engaging and refreshing, and the settings are well described. All of this makes the book light and allows the reader to enjoy the story and not be bogged down with details.
I liked it.
Litton's
Restaurant 1/10
Last night, Aaron and I were hungry, but neither felt much like cooking. We had a few choices, grocery store sushi, Papa Murphey's Pizza, or (decided randomly) hamburgers at Litton's. We had been curious about the restaurant that has won all local "Best Hamburgers" and "Best Desserts" awards for the last 7 years (Knox News Sentinal, CityView Magazine, MetroPulse Alternative News Weekly). Neither of us had had hamburgers in a while, much less red meat, at least on my part. So I had meat for the second time this week already.
We arrived at 8:15, and the doors said that they closed at 8PM, but as someone left, we slipped in and joined a group of people waiting for tables. The host did not seem to mind seating another table, and as there were lots of large parties there (one with a guest in cap and gown), we figured we wouldn't keep them open by ourselves.
There were no small tables. So, the two of us sat at a table for 8. We got all comfortable, the waitress was awesome, actually laughing at Aaron's bad jokes ("I'm not drinking the water... just pouring it under the table"). She was just a sweetheart. The food, we each got a burger with onion rings, was *really* good. I had a plain burger with chedder cheese, Aaron had a "Thunder Road", loaded down with pimento cheese, jalapanos, and onions. They were really really good.
We couldn't get dessert... there was too much food.
08 May 2008
Day 3 - Completed my first!
So last night we made the Crayfish Fra Diavlo. I'll just say it was good. That's an understatement, but I don't care. It was deliciously spicy, and the crayfish and andoulli sausage went well with the three pounds (!!!) of roma tomatoes that I had to peel.
I ended up just using crayfish because the seafood store I went to brings in its stock from Louisiana, so they had prepeeled crayfish by the pound. You could use any seafood for the recipe. Most FraDiavlo sauces are full of shrimp, clams, and lobster. So, here it goes.
Just because this one worked out well doesn't mean I won't keep experimenting. The local farmer's market has a local organic farm which sells its livestock and well... some are more unusual.
How to peel tomatoes:
Take a big pot of boiling water and toss your tomatoes in ( a few at a
time) when the skin splits, pull them out. Using the split, pull the skin off. This must be done while the tomato is HOT or else the skin does not come off easily. Yes, it burns your fingers, but it's the easiest way.
I ended up just using crayfish because the seafood store I went to brings in its stock from Louisiana, so they had prepeeled crayfish by the pound. You could use any seafood for the recipe. Most FraDiavlo sauces are full of shrimp, clams, and lobster. So, here it goes.
Crawfish Fra Diavlo
1.5 pounds tails and fat of cooked, shelled, seasoned or unseasoned crawfish,
.25-.5 pounds andoulli sausage (optional)
1/2 cup white wine, Pinot Grigio
3 pounds tomatos, peeled, seeded, diced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 8oz can of tomato sauce (optional)
1 pound cooked pasta
Sautee the crawfish with garlic in the bottom of a large dutch oven. The fat will melt. Once all of the fat has liquified, drain off about half so that there is only a couple tablespoons left.
Pour wine into pot, let crawfish cook in wine for about 5 minutes.
Put tomatoes, sausage, red pepper flakes in pot, let simmer for atleast half an hour.
Use can of tomato sauce to reach desired consistancy.
Serve over pasta and enjoy.
Just because this one worked out well doesn't mean I won't keep experimenting. The local farmer's market has a local organic farm which sells its livestock and well... some are more unusual.
07 May 2008
Day 2 morning - Crawdaddies
Yesterday evening Aaron and I shelled 2 gallons of crawfish from this weekend's party. I netted about 1/4 - 1/2 pound of meat. I'll be making Crawfish Fra Diavlo for Aaron, Claire, and Nathan this evening. The recipe I'm using as a base for the sauce is here. I'm excited. Basically, it's a simple (fresh) tomato sauce. I'll be supplementing our paltry take with about 1/2 pound of shrimp, if I make it to the sea food market today. Pictures, final recipe, and review will come.
06 May 2008
Day 1 - introduction, the list
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
My list....
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
My list....
101 things in 1001 days….
School
- Finish Thesis
- Submit 2 articles or book reviews to peer edited journals (0/2)
- Meet with my Thesis Advisor at least 3 times a semester (0)
- Submit FAFSA (0/1)
- Finish my book chapters
Work
- Gainful Employment in Museum or Archaeology work
- Finish Native American Teachers Guide for museum
- Attend at least 2 conferences each year
Money
- Start saving for retirement
- Change my mortgage payment to automatic withdrawall
- Run credit check and fix anything negative each year (0/2)
Technology
- Try out Linux on my computer
- Get ArcGIS student license
- Take/Audit a GIS course
- Organize Music on my computer
Health
- Keep going to dr
- Eat at least two meals a day for a month
- Take vitamins everyday for 50 days (0/50)
- Visit dentist
- If I have a month without field work, fast/internal cleanse for 30 days
Fitness
- Learn to do a headstand/handstand
- Take self defense course
- Do yoga … alone
- Learn to SCUBA dive
- Go sledding/skiing/snowboarding/tubing
Food
- Take Aaron (and friends?) to King Tut’s (restaurant)
- Try 10 new restaurants(0)
- Try 20 new wines(0)
- Have 3 BBQs (0)
- Host 3 Dinners/Parties/Dinner Parties(0)
- Finish a Tastebook (WITH PICTURES!)
- Make a fancy dessert - well
- Cook an unorthodox meat – well
- Make sushi - well
- Explore 3 “alternative grains” and make something GOOD
- Make Enchiladas
Environment
- Ride my bike to downtown or school at least 10 times (will add more)
- Bring my own bag to the Farmers Market (0/x)
- Encourage CSA in my area
- Become a Locavore
- Replace lightbulbs with high efficiency
Entertainment
- Take dance lessons (a series of at least 3 sessions)
- Find a good local Jazz band
- See either the KSO of the KJO
- See 3 plays/ballets/operas (0)
- Go to Alive After 5 at the KMA
- See 5 movies Aaron Recommends w/o hesitatitng (0/5)
- Write 30 “fun book” book reviews on my blog
- Go to Amusement Park
- Attend 4 fests or festivals (0/4)
- Learn 10 new songs on guitar (0/10)
- Watch a thunderstorm
Family
- Visit the Grandparents in NH
- Visit the Grandfather in MA
- Send 3 Packages / Letters to my Brother in
- Send 10 emails with pictures to my brother in
- Send out my Xmas gifts for 2007, 2008 2009 (0/3)
Travel
- Get my passport (one conference is in
- Travel out West (to see / with) someone
- Document a trip with photographs
- Visit a winery
- Visit a distillery / brewery
- Go to the beach
- See Aurora Borealis
- Go to a music venue outside of
- Take a road trip with no/limited plans
Kittens
- Spay Orion
- Get them to use the litter box for 30 days straight (0/30)
House
- Clean out my freezer – all those hamburger rolls are taking up space
- Donate all of “Justin’s Food” to a food bank (I don’t eat sourkraut)
- Clean out house
- Get rid of 50 objects through donation/sale/giving (0/50)
- Organize Office
- Organize Dining Room
- Organize Purses, Shoes, and Luggage
- Do something with those damn dressers
- Paint the doors in the office
- Replace Roof
- Fix Mailbox
- Display house numbers
- Finish Kitchen (Cabinet doors, oven hood, ground all outlets, organize dishes/appliances)
- Fix light in laundry room
- Take 10 photos of people/places that I enjoy and frame or display them (0/10)
- Finish installing bathroom componants (shower curtain, shelf)
Gardening
- Grow tomato plants
- Keep Lavender alive for the winter
- Keep Rosemary alive for the winter
- Keep a house plant alive for a whole year
Possessions
- Identify 100 things that make me happy and why (0/100)
- Buy one pair of good jeans each year (0/2)
- Get a Henna tattoo
- Buy a china cabinet I like
- One secret task. The person involved knows what it is.
- For every task not done at end of calendar year, donate 50c to amphibianark.org
- For every task not done at end of 500 days, renew or come up with new task
- For every task not done at end of 1001 days, donate $2 to *** (minimum of $20)
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