Today, while shopping for same basic beer for Kathy's anual cookie party this evening, I found a real gem hidden among the more pedestrian beverages -- thre six-packs of Sierra Nevada Brewing's Celebration Ale.
A relatively light carmel-colored beer, with a hop aroma that is like rubbing your face in a pine tree. A mix of Challenger and Centennial hops contribute as much flavor as aroma so the taste is a green as the smell.
I once drove 150 miles to the Sierra Nevada brewery to buy this beer, so finding it was a real surprise. Chico is a long way from Denver.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Rae - Philly
Rae, Dan Stern's restaurant in Philly and one of my favorite places to eat here is moving. They are still open for lunch but don't do dinner there anymore. I guess I now have an excuse to go to his other restaurant, Gayle, which I have wanted to get to for quite some time.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Time Warp the TV show
Just did a segment on tattoo machines. Time Warp is a show that uses a super-high speed video camera to capture everyday events and then plays them back in super slow motion.
It's really cool to see a tattoo machine captured at 2500 or 5000 frames/second played back at 30 frames/second.
Skin looks just like water, with tiny little concentric ripples every time the needle punches into the skin. It looks just like dropping a stone into still water. Cool.
It's really cool to see a tattoo machine captured at 2500 or 5000 frames/second played back at 30 frames/second.
Skin looks just like water, with tiny little concentric ripples every time the needle punches into the skin. It looks just like dropping a stone into still water. Cool.
The End
Tattoo Session #23
December 6, 2008
So, it’s over. My 16-month odyssey into pain, suffering, and tattoo shop culture has run its course. Only a single touch-up session remains, and that won’t happen until spring so that the ink has really settled into the skin properly.
The end itself was a little anti-climactic. I expected at least one more session, but Joel just laid down the tattoo machine and said: ”That’s it, we’re done.” “Done, done?” I asked. “Done, done.” he answered.
These sessions have become fully integrated into the rhythm of my life. Every 3-4 weeks, usually on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon we had a convenient excuse to drive up to Boulder. They have also become part of Kathy’s life as she came to every single session. So, after 23 appointments, and almost 55 hours of needle time, we need to find a new reason to go to Boulder.
One upside of the experience is that my ability to meditate has radically improved. I could never reach nothingness during a tattoo session but I was readily able to detach physically for 20-30 minutes at a time. Now I find traditional meditation much easier.
I write this as though someone has died and in some way it's how I feel. But at the same time I know that this really isn’t the end. Does something like this really end? Does anything ever really end? Or, like the great cosmic continuum, is the beginning of the next thing? The start of the start? I like to think if it this way more that it just being over.
Maybe it’s still too soon to write about this; the lessons will only begin appear with time. I’ll keep you posted. In the mean time I will celebrate the fact that I can now choose, or choose not, to get more work done.
Tattoo FAQ:
Does it hurt?
A: Yes, of course it hurts.
How much dies it hurt?
A: More than a really bad sunburn, less than a 25 M.P.H. bicycle crash. (These are the only relevant points of reference I can give.)
Why did you do it?
A: Because I wanted a big tattoo.
How much did it cost?
A: Labor and tip total a little more than $6k.
Did you pick the design?
A: No, I picked a general theme – Initially just the Dragon, and later the Japanese Myth of the Koi and the Dragon. I also picked the color of some of the larger things – the Blue Dragon, the Black/Yellow and White/Blue Koi. Beyond that it was really the artist’s call although he frequently asked if a particular color was OK.
How could you trust him so much?
A: I did my research; I looked for the right artist for well over a year before finding Joel. I was prepared to fly to either Miami or Austin to get this level of quality. I was lucky enough to find someone locally who had the chops to do the work I wanted.
December 6, 2008
So, it’s over. My 16-month odyssey into pain, suffering, and tattoo shop culture has run its course. Only a single touch-up session remains, and that won’t happen until spring so that the ink has really settled into the skin properly.
The end itself was a little anti-climactic. I expected at least one more session, but Joel just laid down the tattoo machine and said: ”That’s it, we’re done.” “Done, done?” I asked. “Done, done.” he answered.
These sessions have become fully integrated into the rhythm of my life. Every 3-4 weeks, usually on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon we had a convenient excuse to drive up to Boulder. They have also become part of Kathy’s life as she came to every single session. So, after 23 appointments, and almost 55 hours of needle time, we need to find a new reason to go to Boulder.
One upside of the experience is that my ability to meditate has radically improved. I could never reach nothingness during a tattoo session but I was readily able to detach physically for 20-30 minutes at a time. Now I find traditional meditation much easier.
I write this as though someone has died and in some way it's how I feel. But at the same time I know that this really isn’t the end. Does something like this really end? Does anything ever really end? Or, like the great cosmic continuum, is the beginning of the next thing? The start of the start? I like to think if it this way more that it just being over.
Maybe it’s still too soon to write about this; the lessons will only begin appear with time. I’ll keep you posted. In the mean time I will celebrate the fact that I can now choose, or choose not, to get more work done.
Tattoo FAQ:
Does it hurt?
A: Yes, of course it hurts.
How much dies it hurt?
A: More than a really bad sunburn, less than a 25 M.P.H. bicycle crash. (These are the only relevant points of reference I can give.)
Why did you do it?
A: Because I wanted a big tattoo.
How much did it cost?
A: Labor and tip total a little more than $6k.
Did you pick the design?
A: No, I picked a general theme – Initially just the Dragon, and later the Japanese Myth of the Koi and the Dragon. I also picked the color of some of the larger things – the Blue Dragon, the Black/Yellow and White/Blue Koi. Beyond that it was really the artist’s call although he frequently asked if a particular color was OK.
How could you trust him so much?
A: I did my research; I looked for the right artist for well over a year before finding Joel. I was prepared to fly to either Miami or Austin to get this level of quality. I was lucky enough to find someone locally who had the chops to do the work I wanted.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
The "C" Word
I got a call from my dermatologist this morning to tell me the the pencil-eraser-sized bump I had removed from my forehead last week is -- as expected -- skin cancer.
Squamous cell carcinoma to be specific. Seems pretty common and is readily curable -- although not without a little cut and some digging in my skin.
So tomorrow afternoon, with little fan-fair, I'm going to have a little cancer surgery. I guess that will make me a cancer survivor, in my own little pencil-eraser sized way.
Squamous cell carcinoma to be specific. Seems pretty common and is readily curable -- although not without a little cut and some digging in my skin.
So tomorrow afternoon, with little fan-fair, I'm going to have a little cancer surgery. I guess that will make me a cancer survivor, in my own little pencil-eraser sized way.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tattoo Update
Joel is featured in an extensive article in the current issue (#13) of Tattoo Artist Magazine. The article include a picture of my dragon sleeve along with a very complete catalog of his work.
My Koi sleeve is done except for coloring the Koi themselves. All the background and all the maple leaves are done and really look good. I've been doing three-hour sessions recently which speeds things up considerably. I've only got a couple of sessions left and I'm done. It's weird to think it's coming to an end so quickly. The end has always been some intangable, far-away thing. Now I'm probably done by Christmas.
Here are photos from the last few sessions.
My Koi sleeve is done except for coloring the Koi themselves. All the background and all the maple leaves are done and really look good. I've been doing three-hour sessions recently which speeds things up considerably. I've only got a couple of sessions left and I'm done. It's weird to think it's coming to an end so quickly. The end has always been some intangable, far-away thing. Now I'm probably done by Christmas.
Here are photos from the last few sessions.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
French Macarons - Week #Trois
Okay, so, aged egg whites and a bigger piping bag tip were the 2 biggest changes we made in making this week's batch. The dough was drier this time, which made it a tad bit harder to pipe. We didn't make any filling this week.
Instead of using a food processor to mix the dry ingredients, we're sifting by hand. We've reduced the baking temperature and shortened the cooking time from 20 to 18 minutes.
Ren is flying out tonight to Philly for work. If he has some spare time he'll stop by Miel Patsierrie to pick up professionally made macarons and bring them home so that we can compare. The last batch of macarons Ren brought home from Miel were pretty tasty.
I can't wait to perfect this recipe and starting baking with flavors and coloring!!
Instead of using a food processor to mix the dry ingredients, we're sifting by hand. We've reduced the baking temperature and shortened the cooking time from 20 to 18 minutes.
Ren is flying out tonight to Philly for work. If he has some spare time he'll stop by Miel Patsierrie to pick up professionally made macarons and bring them home so that we can compare. The last batch of macarons Ren brought home from Miel were pretty tasty.
I can't wait to perfect this recipe and starting baking with flavors and coloring!!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
French Macarons - Part Deux
Macarons or Macaroons...WHATever! We're not talking about the coconut cookie.
Tonight, Batch #2!
We're getting better about the piping size. A bigger tip for the piping bag is needed. When we incorporated the almond flour with the egg whites, we were careful not to deflate the whites this time. We baked them for 17 minutes instead of 20. This batch - less chewy than last week's batch
Bye-bye buttercream filling...Hello, chocolate ganache.
According to Lauduree, you should let the macarons sit in the fridge for 24 hours before eating...patience, patience!
Tonight, Batch #2!
We're getting better about the piping size. A bigger tip for the piping bag is needed. When we incorporated the almond flour with the egg whites, we were careful not to deflate the whites this time. We baked them for 17 minutes instead of 20. This batch - less chewy than last week's batch
Bye-bye buttercream filling...Hello, chocolate ganache.
According to Lauduree, you should let the macarons sit in the fridge for 24 hours before eating...patience, patience!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
French Macarons
Ren and I made our first batch of French Macaron cookies...my favorite. How did they turn out? Well, not so good. A bit gummy, chewy. We followed a recipe in Cooks Illustrated. It will probably take a few more batches until we get it right. Oh well, it will be fun trying!!
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