FaceCrack!

As many of you already know, I recently begun the art of Face Crack. It took me many moons to finally get over my initial issue with it. First things first was security, not that I do much stupid shit anymore, but still I know that employers will often attempt to look at that stuff prior to hiring people. They don’t need to know too much information about my personal life. Secondly, I’ve got a real issue with a bunch of their legal mumbo-jumbo, so I will never be posting any of my photography that I either intend to sell or use professionally. Based on their legal disclosures, by agreeing to their terms and conditions you are granting them complete FREE usage rights. You still get to retain copyright, but you allow Facebook and all their subsidiaries the right to use your images however they want. That’s not cool. Therefore I will only be posting snapshots. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I must say, I’m pretty stoked that I finally joined up. I see why so many people for so many years busted my chops to get on it. Thanks Everyone!

Just a need to Vent

It’s already a tough day around these here parts. The Man has once again stripped me of anything that remotely makes this joint enjoyable. They just rescinded my schedule from a 4×10hr work we, back to an 8-5p schedule. It has nothing to do with anything I did at all. I asked. It’s frustrating, especially when My immediate department within the internal agency is the only one not allowed to do this anymore. I am going to just continue to collect my paycheck, call out sick a bit more often (since I never do), but damn, how do they expect people to ever want to go above and beyond for them when they don’t give a fuck about you. I’m done. (sorry I just had to vent)

On the flip side I’ve been looking into the MFA Photo program at UW. It looks pretty sweet and it would allow me to change careers once again to a full-time high education instructor/professor. It’s a full time 2 year commitment, with what appears to be several TA spots to fill. Deadline is Feb. 1, so I believe we’ll be thinking about it seriously.

Warmth of the Fall

The weather in our area has made a turn for the fall. We haven’t quite got the amber, orange and golden hues that makes it all so beautiful yet. Muggy days are now behind us while the sun cavorts between the clouds teasing us. The grayness of a cloudy day and the sprinkling of raindrops pitter-pattering on our windows does bring me a sense of warmth as it so reminds me of where we heading. The fall out here in PA are so wonderful, it’s not like any fall I’ve ever really experienced out West. What I remember the most about the falls out West, is how the air changes, it’s nothing visual, and it’s hard to describe, but it’s so clean and crisp, yet not sweet, it’s just that fresh mountain air. The kind of air that smells like it just whisks down off the Cascades. In contrast, the falls out here are a much more visually beautiful. The deciduous trees turning the storybook fall colors before they all loose their leaves, the weather stays in the 60’s. Just warm enough for a fleece and jeans, yet I can still sport the flip-flops.

 

Additionally, I find myself in my current age range feeling more like I need to pack away like a squirrel. Knowing the impending winter season is just a few short months away. Then it’s cold and hibernation begins. Luckily, I’ve stockpiled a few meads for the winter that are aging quite nicely. There’s a few more to make as well like a pumpkin mead which will probably be best during next fall, but I’m sure it’ll be tasty enough for Hobo Thanksgiving this year. I didn’t get my act together for pickling season this year, I just missed the growing season, don’t know if I was too busy or what, I guess it’s the rookie preserver in me. Hopefully next year, Sus and I can study a bit with the Pickle Princess and soak up some of her knowledge. Maybe even over a glass of mead or three. 

 

Sometimes I digress, but on this particular morning, between the weather, my cup of coffee and my wife sleeping in, which she so desperately needs, I find myself feeling warm. All thats missing is a cozy fire, but since we don’t have fireplace in this apartment, I guess I won’t light one on the Karastan rug either.

 

May the fall be a reminder, of the warmth and coziness of family & friends, breath a little deeper because the air will remind you of your center and take in all the beauty that surrounds you.

The Meading of Life

“Mead is the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage, known since Babylonian times. Wine made from fermented honey, rather than grapes, mead was the nectar of the gods on Mt. Olympus, the celebrated drink of poets, lovers and kings. It has long been touted as an elixir of health, fertility and longevity. The Scandinavian word for honeymoon is derived, in part, from an ancient Northern European custom in which newlyweds, for the first month of their married life, drank a daily cup of honeyed wine called mead. But despite its rich history, mead is not well known in modern times. Many people assume that mead must be very sweet, but this is not necessarily the case. Like any other wine, the flavor is determined by a variety of factors, from the quality of the initial ingredients to the handling at every step along the way. The honey base makes mead a natural for blending with a variety of fruits and other wines.” (www.honeymoonmead.net)

If one’s never tasted mead or fermented anything, then I encourage you all to give it a try. Watching the activity of an active fermentation is very cool and exciting. Your first 1 gallon batch will run you about $25 and each batch there after will be the cost of honey, yeast and water or about $10. Mead, I believe, pairs well with a light salad, fish or chicken, not all mead is sweet and can be served up dry. Of course it also goes well as a compliment to deserts or just as an after dinner aperitif.

Equipment can be found at any local homebrew shop (LHBS) or online, to find you nearest LHBS, check out the Beer Fly directory by clicking on your state and then navigating to homebrew shops.

Here’s the list:
1 gal jug $4.95
Airlock $1.10 (go 3 piece easier to clean)
Beer Bottle Brush $2.95
Iodophor $4 (no rinse sanitizer)
1 stopper that fits jug with a hole in it $1

As for your ingredient list:
D47 Yeast $1.10
Honey (3lbs) $8 (this should put you in the neighborhood of 9% ABV)
1 gal spring water $1

Here’s the process (takes about an hour, not including cleanup).
1. Wash and rinse all equipment that will ever come in contact with your must (mead before fermentation), use the iodophor to sanitize everything. THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT! if you don’t you could get off flavors from bacteria. You will mix up iodophor  (per the instructions) and water in a bucket and use this as your sanitizer solution for this batch.
2. Warm the honey using a double boiler concept. Put the entire jar of honey into a pot of water and bring up the temp. DO NOT boil. Your goal is to make it easy to blend and soften the honey.
3. While waiting on step 2, follow the instructions on the yeast package to re-hydrate the yeast.
4. In a larger pot or plastic bucket, mix 3/4 gallon of water with your 3lbs of honey and mix well with a sanitized metal spoon.
5. Check temp on the must if under 83ºF then pitch your yeast slurry
6. Stir it all up but don’t be super aggressive this time. Our goal is to aerate the must creating an environment for the yeast to grow.
7. Dump the bucket contents into your 1 gal glass jug
8. Fill your airlock to the line on the side with sanitized water solution, attach airlock to the rubber stopper and then attach to your jug.
9. Place jug in a dark spot/corner that is in the neighborhood of 68-70ºF. A basement closet usually is the best.
10. Wait 2 weeks. Then siphon the mead into a clean sanitize bucket, leave behind the stuff on the bottom of the jug post primary fermentation, clean & sanitize your 1 gal jug and then siphon mead back into jug, reattach clean & sanitized airlock/stopper and age the mead for at least a month, longer is better. When you’ve aged it and are ready to bottle I suggest you use swing top Grolsch style beer bottles. Mead can age anywhere from 3 months to 10 years. Then Enjoy!

For more information on this topic check out the following websites:
Hightest’s Honey Haven
Got Mead
Home Brew Talk | Mead Forum

For an all around great book on the subject, purchase:
The Compleat Meadmaker

Happy Fermenting!

30 Days

The director, Morgan Spurlock, of such great films as Super Size Me, Where is Osama Bin Laden, and a wonderful TV series 30 Days has influenced Sus and I. If you’ve never watched the TV show, I suggest you either add it to your Netflix queue or try and find episodes online. The basic premise is that either he puts himself or others into situations that are the opposite of their beliefs in an attempt to open up their eyes, or for some deeper cultural empathy and understanding. For example, an active hunter from NC moves to Los Angeles to live with a family of vegan PETA activists. It’s done very well, tastefully, respectfully, and they are entertaining to watch.

The point of this entry today is to announce that Sus and I, in an effort to prove not only to ourselves, but to also honor the concept of 30 Days is to give up our booze. Many people probably think I drink to much. Whatever. I am able to control my intake, I choose when I have a drink and when I don’t . I’m not quitting for good, I gave up cigarettes and I go to a gym now. Things that I never thought I’d ever do. I love fermenting and drinking beers, I make delicious meads and beers, and I don’t see myself stopping that hobby anytime soon. Therefore the point of this little exercise is for a few reasons, to prove that I control my drinking to others and to really see if it makes a difference in my physique. We will be stepping up our exercise routine as well, so it’s not just one variable that will be changing. The plan is to do a weigh-in every Tuesday morning, we will go to the gym (3x/wk) for a full 1.5-2hr workout as normal including weightlifting, and on the non-gym days we will run a mile and perform 15 min. exercises at home focusing one day on each of the following: arms/chest, legs, abs. The only day we will take off from any exercise will be Fridays. Yesterday, we captured our starting point on camera, there is a good possibility that we will share the before & after photos at the end of the 30 Days.

Sus and I eat well, not only well balanced, but extremely healthy, we cook every night, we pack our lunches, the whole nine. We’ve looked into diets this or diets that, but we don’t need to spend the money on that crap. I’m no nutritionist, and I understand that, but I also know that if weight loss is a goal then one needs to be in a calorie deficit. It’s all just a numbers game. Exert more calories in exercise versus the calories you ingest, that way you burn more than you consume. To track our calorie intake we use a website call Fat Secret to track food and exercise. My goal is to loose about 15 to 20 lbs. That will put my BMI in the middle of where it should be. Now all that being said, I may end up packing on muscle so I may not actually loose weight per what the scale says, but I may have bulked up a bit. Only 30 Days will tell.

This begins today!

Wisdom on the Water

The alarm clock jerked me out of a deep slumber this morning and the dog barking incessantly for breakfast didn’t help much either. I shuffled down the hallway to feed the dog, relieve myself and brush the fangs. As I slowly woke up a bit, I grabbed whatever clothes were closest to me at such an early hour I didn’t care if they were clean or not. Normally around our household there’s an hour or so we refer to as B.C., which means “Before Coffee” and I’m just an ass in the morning. Not mean, my pistons just aren’t firing yet, so I’m sluggish and clumsy. I figured I’d grab a cup of Joe at my local Wawa along the way. This morning, I was heading out to my local lake, Marsh Creek, for a battle with the bass. I grabbed my spin and baitcast rods, tackle bag, keys and headed out the door. I was abruptly greeted by a wall of humidity, and my car ’s temperature gauge told me it was 73ºF at 6:45 am. That meant it was going to be a scorcher today.

There are a few spots at Marsh Creek that I’ve shore-fished from before; one I’ve had success with and the other couple of spots have left me out high and dry, with a morning of casting practice as I like to refer to it as. On this particular morning, there was another spot I wanted to stake claim to. As I arrived, settled in, and rigged up the rods I was wishing I brought my iPod. I figured a bit of music soothes the soul and would slow me down to finesse the orange-flaked Senko plastic worm I was planning on casting in the brownish & green water. Was I wrong. As I began to get quiet, I noticed the orchestra of cicadas in the nearby trees, the group of crows chattering like a bunch of teenage girls, and the bullfrogs whose croaking sounded like they were hung-over from too much Budweiser the night before. The whizzing of line spooling off my reel and the attached residual drops of water glistened in the morning light as they were flung back into lake brought me back to my reality.

The lake itself was calm and peaceful, the early morning mist rising and dissipating in the humidity. The shad were already in a frenzy, disrupting the serenity, acting as if they were a group of AIG executives caught backpedaling after a day at the spa. I threw just about everything in my tackle bag today: Texas rigged Senkos of various colors and sizes, spoons & spinners, jigs with chartreuse plastic flukes attached, crankbaits that wiggled or wobbled, dove deep or stayed shallow. I emptied my bag. I did catch a largemouth bass on a Texas rigged Zoom chartreuse plastic fluke with a split shot weight added! I’m beginning to sense that’s all I need to catch fish. The last and only time I’ve ever caught one of these deceptive little bastards was using the same presentation I utilized today. Now, I also know that bass are not deceptive, nor are the bastards, but damn I’ve had a hell of a time hooking them pre-and-post spawn.

As the sun rose higher in the sky and the mercury climbed, the beads of sweat along my neck began cascading down my back signaling it was time to pack it in for the day. There are chores and lesson planning awaiting me at home that I must tend to today. During the drive home, I realized the trip was successful, not only had I caught my second bass ever, but I’m also feeling comfortable fishing my baitcasting reel. I still might not be able think like a creature with gills, but for me fishing is quiet time to relax and relish in my thoughts. As for my skills at the art of angling, well they closely mimic my college days of late night drunken dart throwing, eventually I’ll get a bulls-eye to stick.

Canvolution

The first successful canned batch of sauce.

During these lean economic times, I’ve really investigated my own habits. Granted I’ve been in a lean economic time ever since I’ve started trying to make a buck. I don’t often feel like I get ahead. Then again that’s something completely different. A few months back I invested $25 in some Whal clippers and Sus has learned to give a decent haircut. I continue to make beer and mead, if anything because I enjoy fermenting things.  I’ve got a blackberry mead I made that is super tasty, but it’s got a bit of a rocket fuel taste given that it’s ABV is in the 15% range, that alcohol burn will dissipate over time as the mead ages. It’s only about 6 months or so old, I think it’ll be delicious in a year+ …. if I can wait that long. If I ever end up in some prison, I’m going to be that guy that makes prison wine and then takes it a step further to create prison sangria. This is not an expected outcome though so no worries.

Our garden this year was ravaged with blight so our tomatoes barely had a chance to survive. The basil grew like a bush and we’ve got some great pesto in the freezer right now. There’s this sense of homesteading, and self sufficiency that has become a bit overwhelming. Maybe it’s all in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint, or it could just be another way to give the middle finger to the man! The latest conquest has been to bring back the canvolution. A great friend of mine, Kath, has been a long distance mentor guiding me along this rewarding path. My first and successful attempt was a homemade bourbon bbq sauce. I made the batch up and then preserved about 8  8oz jars. All the lids went ping and everything went according to plan. Hell, I didn’t even make that big of a mess. My goal this weekend is to pickle my first batch of cukes. I love pickles, and grocery store varieties just don’t quite have the crunch that I want. It’s a lot of work to wash, prep and process everything, and I begin to wonder if it’s really saving me much money, but after I purchase all the ingredients we’ll see what my per jar cost is. Not that it really matters, I enjoy it, and I know what I’ll be putting in my body and that’s more important to me anyway.

I see an evolution of my generation returning to what maybe our grandparents did because they HAD to, where we are doing it out of choice. I shop for my slacks and dress-shirts for work at the local Salvation Army. I’ve also begun to teach myself to fish. I find it mentally rewarding, a sense of quiet time and man vs. nature stuff as well as another way to put food on my table. Maybe Thoreau wasn’t that far off with his ideologies.  Or the fact the Dick Proenneke was able to live in a harsh Alaskan wilderness when he retired for 30 years. Not to romanticize what those two, for example, have done. Balance is the key somewhere between the absolute plugged in society we live in now and the other extreme is where I aim to be.

A Decade Away

Yesterday marked the decade upon my departure from the Pacific NW. So much has transpired over these past years and when I pause long enough to steal a gaze backwards there’s a flood of emotions. Many of them good. I really have grown, been lucky enough to have a few life experiences. Most importantly I found the woman of my dreams, the one whom I could never quite see, just as she was about to turn and look at me the damn alarm clock would go off. Reflecting now though, the one thing, and maybe a bit naive on my part, was the day I pulled out of Seattle in my ‘78 VW bus, Athena, bound for the Caribbean, I really believed it was going to just be a chapter in my life and that i’d return in a couple few years. Life just doesn’t always go as we think it will. The bumps and turns, the pull and allure of some distraction, choices and decisions — they all play a part in the journey. I guess hidden in there somewhere is the definition of wisdom.

I’ve spent the last ten years trying to define my home. I’ve lived a bit transient as I tried to understand, not only myself, but what was important to me, and where I shall I call home. To me, home is two places. There’s a geographical location and a place within my heart. Both I find solace and an inviting sense of calmness in. In fact, Sus and I were just discussing last night, how we’ve both never really felt ‘at ease’ here. Yes, we both do like the town we live in, we think it’s cool, it’s got a lot of things going for it. Yet, I don’t think either one of us has given ourselves permission to settle. There’s so many other things that could be going on that aid in that feeling, and I won’t get in to it all, but if you’ve ever read other posts, or know us, you’ll understand as well. Either way, we are now looking to find some permanence, a home-base if you will. I don’t think either one of us will totally slow down, and we both get extreme wanderlust and are always discussing the next locale for some adventure, but we want to be grounded somewhere. I also believe that we both have some sort of pull to the PacNW. We are working hard at making that happen, if anything we may just throw the arms up into the wind and come-a-running. At this point in our lives, I think, anything is possible. I know that doesn’t sound very responsible, but I’ve also learned in my life that some occasions deserve that childish spice.

Guerilla Drive-In

 

The MacGuffin

I’m a geek, a nerd of sorts. Recently a underground Guerilla Drive-In was brought to my attention that happens in my town. I’ve lived here for a year and it took a friend out West to enlighten me. The concept is an outdoor drive-in established for a night randomly located around town that shows 16mm movies out of a 1977 BMW motorcycle side car. Usually the location ties in some aspect of the movie that is being shown. This is the third year that this drive-in has been going on. I’m fascinated by this whole thing, hence my nerdom.

Now, to make it even more interesting the man responsible for this guerilla drive-in has made a pelican case that transmits an AM signal with a secret code. One needs to locate the case which is secretly hidden somewhere in our county. He gives clues as to it’s location and it just take a bit of time and deciphering to locate the MacGuffin (pelican case). Needless to say, I FOUND IT!!! Now, on the Guerilla Drive-In website are the dates for the next showing but one needs to find the MacGuffin, and email the guy a photo of yourself with it and the secret code. You’ll then be on an email list that will tell you the secret location. The next movie is 8/22. Location Unknown.

If you wanna learn more about this ultimately geeky scavenger hunt and cool sub-culture drive-in, check out: Guerilla Drive-In. My popcorn is waiting and the lawn chairs are by the door. I do make the best popcorn on the stove too if I say so myself. My mother taught me how and it ROCKS!!!!

 

Maybe we’ll see you at the flicks!

A Haida Legend: Salmon Boy

Long ago, among the Haida people, there was a boy who showed no respect for the salmon. Though the salmon meant life for the people, he was not respectful of the one his people called Swimmer. His parents told him to show gratitude and behave properly, but he did not listen. When fishing, he would step on the bodies of the salmon that were caught and after eating he carelessly threw the bones of the fish into the bushes. Others warned him that the spirits of the salmon were not pleased by such bad behavior, but he did not listen.

One day, his mother served him a meal of salmon. He looked at it with disgust. “This is moldy” he said, though the meat was good. He threw it upon the ground. Then, he went down to the river to swim with the other children. However, as he was swimming, a current caught him and pulled him away from the others. It swept him into the deepest water and he could not swim strongly enough to escape from it. He sank into the river and drowned.

There, deep in the river, the Salmon People took him with them. They were returning back to the ocean without using their bodies. They had left their bodies behind for the humans and the animal people to use as food. The boy went with them, for now, he belonged to the salmon.

When they reached their home, in the ocean, they looked just like human beings. Their village there in the ocean looked much like his own home and he could hear the sound of children playing in the stream which flowed behind the village. Now the Salmon People began to teach the boy. He was hungry and they told him to go to the stream and catch one their children, who were salmon swimming in the stream. However, he was told, he must be respectful and after eating return all of the bones and everything he did not intend to eat to the water. Then, he was told, the children would be able to come back to life. But, if he didn’t return the bones, to the water, salmon child would not come back.

He did as he was told, but one day after he had eaten, when it came time for the children to come up to the village, from the stream, he heard one of them crying. He went to see what was wrong. The child was limping because one of its feet was gone. Then, the boy realized he had not thrown all of the fins back into the stream. He quickly found the one fin he had missed, and threw it in and the child was healed.

After he had spent the winter with the Salmon People, it again was spring and time for them to return to the rivers. The boy swam with them, for he belonged to the Salmon People now. When they swam past his old village, his own mother caught him in her net. When she pulled him from the water, even though he was in the shape of a salmon, she saw the copper necklace he was wearing. It was the same necklace she had given her son.

She carried Salmon Boy carefully back home. She spoke to him and held him and gradually he began to shed his salmon skin; First, his head emerged. Then, after eight days, he shed all of the skin and was a human again.

Salmon Boy taught the people all of the things he had learned. He was a healer now and helped them when they were sick.

“I can’t stay with you long,” he said, “you must remember what I teach you.”

He remained with the people until the time came when the old salmon who had gone upstream and not been caught by the humans or the animal people came drifting back down toward the stream. As Salmon Boy stood by the water, he saw a huge old salmon floating down toward him. It was so worn by its journey that he could see through its sides. He recognized it as his own soul and he thrust his spear into it. As soon as he did so, he died.

Then the people of the village did as he told them to do. They placed his body into the river. It circled four times and then sank, going back to his home in the ocean, back to the Salmon People.

——-
The legend of the Salmon People really speaks to me, I find such richness in not only the story, but the wisdom as well. I find that I too, very much feel a cyclical notion to all that is happening now. The environment, survival, economy, the basic needs and our own individual journeys — I think we all can relate. We need to nurture the Earth, our Families and each Other then and only then can we too return.