| Hawaii! |
[Dec. 16th, 2009|10:48 pm] |
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I'm in Hawaii and I'm warm. It's lovely. |
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| Doctors. Ugh. |
[Dec. 15th, 2009|12:41 pm] |
Yesterday a doctor (nephrologist) counseled me to get a lap band put in. The lap band is a method of surgical weight loss. Today I went on line and did some research. There's a lot of stuff out there about how great bariatric surgery is and how much weight I would lose. Most of it is thinly veiled advertising. Many of the information sites and "studies" are done by doctors who perform these surgeries and companies that make the devices used. So, how to get accurate, non-biased information?
I went to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) to see what they have to say. I tried a different journal first, but they wanted me to pay $100- to read their articles. Anyway, interesting stuff in JAMA. One article I read seemed to say that 50% of people who get a lap band don't lose weight. The best outcome is the 25% of patients who lose 20% of their excess weight. Wow, I could have surgery and if I get really, REALLY lucky I might lose 20 pounds.
I know someone with a lap band, and she is one of the 50% for whom the thing doesn't work. She also can't sit down to a meal without having to go throw up most of the time. No. I'm not doing that to myself.
Other options? There are many surgical procedures for weight loss, most of them much more invasive than the lap band and all non-reversible. Not only are the side effects things like malnutrition and hair loss, there's an over all 1% chance of dying. DYING, people. One in one hundred. Not doing that, either.
Thanks, Doctor doesn't know crap. I think I'll stick to yoga and hiking and eating and being fat. At least until you have a safe, effective solution that doesn't involve starving, surgery, and dying. |
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| Overwhelmed II |
[Dec. 9th, 2009|12:10 pm] |
Tuesday was back to work. I worked Tuesday-Thursday, then I was supposed to have Friday off. Thursday was a training up in Galt which made for a long day. Friday I ended up working from home to prepare for the California Archeological Site Stewardship Program (CASSP) training Saturday and Sunday. I gave a talk about archeology and interpretation on Saturday morning and I pretty much spent the whole week agonizing about it. It had to be re-written at 11 p.m. Friday. Not that I'm obsessive or anything.
Saturday and Sunday went well. My talk was well recieved and I didn't make an ass of myself. I wasn't as organized as I wanted to be, but it's probably not humanly possible to be as organized as I'd like to be. It was a long drive up to Sacramento and back and ended up being an 11 hour day. When I got home I made cookies for the next day.
Sunday morning we met at my office (all 35 of us), so I got in early to clean up and set up. Our maintenence folks only seem to do some things. I cleaned the bathroom, maybe for the first time in ages. Maintenence is good about vacuuming and taking out the trash. Toilets? Not so much. Ick. At home I pay people to clean, at work I get paid to clean. Weird. We had a good meeting at the office then went out to Tesla for a tour. We were out there for about 2 hours and it was darn cold. In the 40s with a bit of a breeze. It was so good to get back to the office for lunch! When it was all cleaned up I did a bit of work at my desk then headed off to a party.
I really wasn't in the mood for a party, but I said I'd go and I made cookies. I got totally lost and thought about just going home and eating the cookies. It was a nice party and I parked myself on a couch and talked to people I knew, so it was ok. I was sooooo tired when I got home.
Monday I worked. When I got in everything was covered with snow, which was high excitement. After work I went to yoga class and fell asleep in upward facing cobbler pose. It was then I decided to take Tuesday off. Halfway through class my foot cramped up. I sat and massaged it, then got back into the triangle pose we were doing and it cramped again. As I was sitting and massaging it it cramped a third time and I rolled up my mat and went home. The cramp was weird. My toes turned into claws and I couldn't straighten them. I don't know what that was about.
Yesterday for my relaxing day off I slept in while the cat climbed me, then did two loads of laundry and cleaned the house. The cleaners are coming today, so I had to get it clean first. Next off to Whole Foods/Whole Paycheck for some specialty items. Then off to a party for work, which was excellent. At ten I picked Mike up at Oakland airport. It was a long day for a day off.
Today I'm at work and if I'm well behaved I'll go to yoga tonight. I'm so tired I may very well have a nap under my desk. Tomorrow I'll work, then make something and go off to a party for my lace class. I need to buy a gift for someone, too. Yikes.
Friday I'm off and I may very well sleep all day. Saturday we're having a party, but since the house will already be clean and I'm only making soup and latkes it shouldn't be too bad. Sunday I'll need to get packing so we can go to Hawaii Wednesday. I'm sort of afraid that we'll get to Hawaii and I'll spend the week sleeping. At least it'll be warm. |
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| Overwhelmed |
[Dec. 9th, 2009|11:52 am] |
It must be December. There's so much more to do than I have time for. I need a day to sleep.
We went south for Thanksgiving. We headed down after work the Tuesday before. I got home a bit early and was ready to go by the time Mike got home, but of course he had to pack. It took him nearly 2 hours to drive home from Berkeley. Ick. We left about 1/2 hour later than I wanted to. No big deal. We stopped for dinner at Anderson's against my better judgement. Mike doesn't eat fast food and I was easily talked into a sit-down meal. South of Anderson's there was road work and it took us an hour and a half to go about 20 miles. We didn't get to my folk's until after 1:30 a.m. Long day.
Wednesday we did some grocery shopping and cooking. Dad made a mess of a turkey and I didn't interfere. In the evening we went out for an amazing Japanese dinner with mom and dad, my brother, and my aunt and her family. It was a good party and I hope we do that again sometime.
Thursday was the big day. I drank too much green tea at dinner Wednesday night so I spent a good part of the night planning what I was going to do the next day. I made turkey stock from the bones and bits of the turkey dad cooked. I used the stock in the dressing and gravy. Both came out pretty good, until my gravy got added to what my aunt made. She used kosher salt all over the turkey she cooked, so that gravy was really salty. Her turkey wasn't done in time, so we heated up dad's turkey and had that first. It was pretty dry. Auntie's turkey was done 1/2 way through dinner and it was perfect. Mike made acorn squash and all of the side dishes were excellent. I especially like gram's yams. Mmm.
Friday I can't much remember. I think we lounged. Seems to me Mike played golf. Mike and I had dinner at a fancy Polish restaurant and it was really, really good. We'll be going back there.
Saturday we dined at Santa Monica Seafood Company on Wilshire with uncle D. It was good, but I thought too expensive. Luckily I wasn't buying. I had five scallops. Good thing I was in the mood for something light, after all of that eating! Mike was smart and had soup and an entree. I made up for it with dessert. I love cannoli!
Sunday we went up to Griffith Park Observatory. It was really beautiful. We had a long walk from the car. Normally I would bitch about walking a mile up hill, but we'd been lounging so much I was glad to get outside and move around. The weather was perfect, too. We'll have to go back to the observatory sometime when it's not so crowded and we have more time. There's a lot to see. Next we dined with gram and gramp at Soupplantation. Salad hit the spot.
Monday we had a quick and uneventful drive home, which was nice for a change.
So, that's the Thanksgiving trip. |
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| Snow! |
[Dec. 7th, 2009|11:52 am] |
Not just the kind of snow we see in the distance way up on the hills, either. It snowed in Livermore last night and there was still snow on the ground this morning.
At our house there was ice on our cars, but no snow. When I left the house at 8:20 it was about 36 degrees. Coming over the hill to work there was still snow on the road and when I got here the office was surrounded by snow. It's still only 38 degrees here, and it's almost noon!
A few pictures:
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| Mom's Shawl |
[Nov. 20th, 2009|05:04 pm] |
I've been working on this shawl for my mom for about a year and a half, off and on. Usually I choose knitting projects because they look like they'll be fun or challenging. I chose this one because it reminded me of mom. It turned out not to be fun, challenging, or easy and quick to knit. That's why it took so long. I am very pleased with the finished product. Hope mom is, too.
 No one can take a picture in this house without the cat getting involved.
Now I can go knit something else, finally. |
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| An Early B-Day Present |
[Nov. 10th, 2009|03:48 pm] |
This morning my birthday present arrived:
That's six yards of woodchips for my garden. Maybe later I'll post before and after photos. Now I have to go and get Rita so we can dine and shop. Let the celebration begin!
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| Vacation! |
[Nov. 2nd, 2009|12:43 pm] |
We're going to Hawaii for a week in December to see Rita get her PhD! Yes, the graduation ceremony takes a week in Hawaii, so we couldn't possibly have gone for a shorter trip. Hah!
I can't wait! |
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| A Cold: the Gift That Keeps On Giving |
[Oct. 14th, 2009|04:04 pm] |
Yeah, I'm still sick and it's been a month or so. I'm so tired of this. Three doctor's appointments so far. I was better for a few days after I stopped the prednisone, but my breathing deteriorated again. Monday night I went back and forth between going to the ER, sitting quietly 'till I died from low blood oxygen, or taking more prednisone. The pred won, being the easiest. Only problem: I had to get up out of the chair to take it, which involved a painful asthma attack. Ugh.
Yesterday morning my lovely HMO insisted I see a general practitioner I didn't know instead of a specialist and try to explain in 5 minutes or less the ten or so meds I'm on to someone not familiar with asthma meds. Joy. In the end he did just what I wanted him to do and expected. A new perscription for prednisone with a longer taper off period, more of the inhaled steroids, and a few sleeping pills to combat the prednisone. I believe he did what my specialist (for whom the HMO will not pay) would've done, but it was much more complicated. Probably annoying for the doctor as well, but he was gracious. That's the good thing about the group I'm with. All of the staff are very nice, it seems. I've seen two GPs who are not my own in the last month, and they've both been great.
Now I'm breathing. Breathing fire. Ready to take over the world, if only I could think straight. Or maybe eat the whole world. The pred makes me eat everything within arm's reach. It's ok. I'm running at such a frantic rate I'm not gaining any weight. Then again, not losing any, either. Anybody have a cookie? I need some chocolate! Maybe it's a good thing I brought lunch today. Last night, after dinner, I made a pot of soup. No reason in particular, I just felt like making soup while cleaning the whole house and watching TV, all at the same time. I used up the roast chicken, the chicken stock, the parsley, and carrots in the fridge, along with some celery, barley, and onion. It made a pretty darn good lunch.
Today the cleaners are at my house. I don't think I left them much to clean. And what will I do tonight? I think I'd better go out. Or maybe make a grand mess of the kitchen so I can clean it up again! Hmm, what sounds nummy? I made a heck of a mess the other night with lentil soup. I was watching a TV cooking show last week where they put hot soup in a blender. They said something about everyone blowing the lid off sooner or later, and I thought "Hey, I've never done that. Must be dumb people who do that." You know what happened with the lentil soup. Yup. Mike still isn't sure how I got lentil soup in the living room. Now I remember why I bought a stick blender. Lentil soup is really gross on a rug. Even the cat wanted to know why I did such a dumb thing.
Anyway, 40 more mintues to go at work. Work tomorrow. Friday dentist appointment, then lunch with the girls and get my nails done, as is my birthright. Saturday dinner with friends. Sunday down to Santa Cruz for a little visit with Annie. Should be a fun rest of the week. |
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| (no subject) |
[Oct. 8th, 2009|04:20 pm] |
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We have tarantulas in my park. Yay! I've never seen them in the wild before. |
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| On the mend, still |
[Oct. 5th, 2009|04:25 pm] |
Well, better or not, here I come! Last Thursday I was plenty energetic thanks to the drugz, so I spent the day running all over the state. I went in to work, picked up a rig, drove to the capitol, dropped off a brick (No, I didn't throw it. Tempting, though.), got reimbursed for travel I did last year, then ran over to meet with my boss at HQ. Love them state IOUs. Ugh. Next I went out to west Sacramento and picked up a load of park maps for Carnegie. On the way back to the park I stopped at the Ghirardelli outlet south of Stockton and picked up some chocolate as a gift for our supervising ranger. Yeah, ok, I got some for myself as well. Can you blame me? Back to the park, dropped of the rig, home to Livermore, picked up Mike, back to the park to celebrate the supervisor's birthday, home, off to the grocery store, home again to make chili. I broke my rule about not working after 9 p.m., but I got the chili made for the camping trip and the whole kitchen cleaned up. At midnight I contemplated bed and wasn't tired in the slightest. Oh, I forgot to mention, I woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep on Thursday. It was an Ambien night, to say the least. I took my very last one and it was worth it. Love that Prednisone. Not.
Friday I woke up at 9:30 groggy, of course, from the sleeping pill. I took my 7 morning medications and got sick to my stomach, so I went back to bed while Mike packed for camping. I ended up sleeping 'till one in the afternoon. We still made it to the campground by 4:30, so it was ok. We were there and completely set up before any of our friends arrived. By about ten p.m. we had a nice group of ten people set up and ready for a lovely weekend.
I think this was the best camping trip of the summer. The company was fun, everyone did as they pleased, we enjoyed each other's company and the weather was perfect. Caswell Memorial State Park has a really good group camp right on the river. We didn't need to put up a canopy because there were lots of trees. We were the only people camping in our part of the park, so we didn't have to worry about bothering anyone or them bothering us. Saturday I lounged most of the day while Mike went off and did something. I'm not even sure what he did! I think everyone went on a long hike. Saturday night we had a yummy potluck and a great campfire with songs and stories and marshmallows. Sunday was a great group breakfast and packing up. On the way out of the area we all went to Bass Pro Shop in Manteca then out to lunch. I was exhausted when we got home yesterday, but so pleased at how well the weekend went.
I've made it through a whole day of work now for the first time in two weeks. It's time to head to yoga class!
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| Still Sick |
[Sep. 30th, 2009|11:07 am] |
No posts lately because being home sick doesn't give one much about which to post. Last Tuesday I came down with a cold. I got up, showered, dressed, called in sick to work, and went back to bed. When I woke up I had a raging sore throat. So that was all for Tuesday.
Wednesday I saw a doctor, since I suspected strep. Nope. No strep, no flu, just a garden variety cold virus. So I got to wait it out. I found out Wednesday that SRB and her beau Bob both had it, too. We dined with them on Sunday evening, so we must all have picked it up at the restaurant. Only Mike didn't get it.
Thursday morning Mike came down with it, defying the rules of the house and our marriage. We have a rule that we're not both allowed to be sick at once. So much for that. Fortunately I felt a little better, so I made a vat of matzo ball soup. Good thing, since it's been the only food in the house for a while.
Friday and Saturday we both lay around the house doing nothing. Seems to me that we went out and got fast food in there somewhere, since I couldn't stand to eat another peanut butter sandwich.
Sunday we declared ourselves well and healed and headed over to Pacifica to join friends at a party. Declaring ourselves healthy didn't really work. I ended up asleep on our friends' couch and Mike scooped me up and took me home. We did the best we could to be social, but I don't think either of us really felt up to it. It was good to see everyone, but not as much fun as it should've been. It was also nice to get out of the house.
Monday I diligently got up and went to work. After a week I must've been well, right? The sore throat went away on Thursday and was replaced by congestion. I thought my head might explode all weekend. I went home from work at 12:30 having not accomplished much. I guess the fact that I was fasting didn't help. A 3 hour nap in the middle of the afternoon killed time nicely. I managed to get through yoga class that evening and actually did pretty well. Monday night a cough and trouble breathing brought on non-stop asthma attacks. All of this hacking and coughing brought the sore throat back.
Yesterday I went to work and called the doctor's office for an appointment when I got there. I left after only an hour and went to the doctor. I'm on a huge load of asthma drugs as well as an antibiotic for a sinus infection. Here's what I'm taking: 30 mg of prednizone, 2 puffs of pulmicort, 1 inhalation of foradil, and doxycyclene for the infection. I think that may be enough corticosteroids to kill a horse. Certainly enough to keep me awake for a week straight. Also, apparently, enough to make my typing erratic.
I'm home today since moving makes me have an asthma attack. I fully expect to be better tomorrow, but I've been saying that for over a week now. Bleh. |
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| A Very Excellent Weekend |
[Sep. 21st, 2009|11:20 am] |
Well, I just spent three days doing nearly nothing and it was heaven. It also left me wanting to get out of the house and do something, which definitely makes the Monday going to work thing easier.
Friday was a furlough day and Mike took the day off, too. We lounged around and went out to breakfast, then home to more lounging and knitting. In the evening we went to the local music store where M. played guitar and I drummed and sang with a bunch of neat folks. When that was over we went to the coffee house and listened to a band for a bit, then accross the street for some soft tacos (carnitas, heaven!), then home. Downtown Livermore is a pretty good place to be sometimes.
Saturday morning I made pancakes. Mmm, it's a good thing to have leftover buttermilk laying around waiting to be used. M. got dressed and needed to go to Fry's. The hard drive in his Linux system had been screeching with increasing frequency (well, ok, regularity, the frequency of the screeching didn't change) for about a month. I meant to go with him, but somehow when I stepped into the bedroom to get dressed I ended up laying down, so he went alone. I knitted and listened to NPR which I think is the best ever way to spend the middle of a Saturday. M. got back and spent the day fixing the computer while I continued my doing of almost nothing.
Saturday night we checked out a new Livermore restaurant, Eddie Papa's. I expected it to be expensive and mediocre. Instead it was expensive and really good. Well, ok, not terribly expensive, but still too much for a regular once or twice a month place. We had San Francisco crab and lobster bisque (ok), seared ahi tuna (fabulous!), mac & cheese (not as good as mine, but still very good), pork loin with a light leek cream sauce and sweet potatoes (quite good), and beignets (mmmm). The place was packed so we sat at the bar. The bar was very empty, since they don't have a liquor license yet. Suited us fine. They have neat sodas. M. had a sasparilla and I had a grape soda.
Yesterday was more of the same, with a little less eating and more housework thrown in for variety's sake. It was too hot to eat, and you know I don't say that lightly. I finished the shawl/scarf I was knitting (photos coming soon) and needed to block it. This meant doing all of the dishes in the kitchen and cleaning out the sink so I could wash it. Next it had to be pinned out on a big, flat surface. The bed had to be stripped, which meant washing the mattress protector and pillow protectors. I didn't wash the sheets because they were plain worn out, so I threw them away. So much easier than laundry! The bedroom and kitchen got cleaned because I needed to finish a knitting project. Not a bad excuse for housework.
In the evening we met up with SRB and Bob for dinner at Speisekammer in Alameda. They were having Oktoberfest, so it was a bit of a zoo. Mike wore a kilt, which really confused a host of drunk people. A woman asked if it was Scottish or Irish and he didn't help her confusion by telling her it was Welsh. The place was loud and the service was slow, but man the food was good. And it was 20 degrees cooler than in Livermore. M. had saurebraten and I had jagersnitzel, which is what we always have. Why mess with it if it works? If we went there more than once or twice a year we'd have to branch out, but we don't. It's probably just as well, for health reasons. They now have a "recession special" which is half-orders of their entrees. I had that and it was just right. Otherwise their portions are huge. Mike had a beer the size of his thigh. Yikes! He was very merry by the time we left.
All in all, a good, relaxing weekend. I needed some home time. I love being able to socailze like a "normal" person (not working weekends, living in one place) but we do a lot of it and it's nice to have some down time. Next weekend we'll be back in party and social mode. |
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| The good and the bad |
[Sep. 15th, 2009|04:16 pm] |
It's shaping up to be a rough week. Yesterday was just a day of le grump, probably because I didn't get any sleep the night before. No good reason not to sleep, it just happens. I'm starting to wonder if my inability to sleep well only one night in seven is a part of being almost 40. I've attributed it to a heavy meal, allergies, pain of one sort or another, being unable to sleep alone, Mike's snoring, you name it. I'm noticing that a lot of friends my age can't sleep, either. I also know that older people need less sleep. Maybe I'm trying to force myself to sleep more than my body wants to and I'm making things difficult for myself. Well, whatever, it makes me grumpy not to sleep well.
Last night I started a yoga class I signed up for. I'd heard good things about the instructor, but I felt quite uncertain. 8 years ago I did a strenuous form of yoga once a week. Life intervened and I quit after about 2 years. Since then I've tried classes here and there, but never found anything I liked. One place the studio was just too small. At the local gym the poses were all kneeling, which is very painful for me. I went to a class at our gym in Santa Cruz a few times, but it was strictly an exercise class and not a yoga class, really. Yoga poses, but no meditation or breathing. I also hated the music the teacher played. I can't concentrate as well with music. The gym atomosphere wasn't very good, either. Yeah, I'm picky.
I got to class all worried. My main fear was that it would be too difficult and I wouldn't be able to do it. Once I was in class I was kinda freaked because the air conditioning was going full-blast and it was cold. Not good for exercise. There was music playing, which I really hate. The teacher came in and turned the air off. She started the class by talking and I liked everything she said. She aknowleged that yoga isn't just exercise and talked about respecting our bodies and not enduring pain. She described the class as restorative. I was able to do everything the teacher showed us, sometimes with the more difficult forms of the pose I remember from long ago. The first exercise we did was something I learned in physical therapy to help my back. (I should've been doing it all along). Several other movements, stretches and poses were also great for my back. The teacher also talked a lot about our daily practice, encouraging us to do yoga at home.
Anyway, I'm in love. It wasn't the greatest workout I've ever had, but it was just right for now. I've gotta figure out how to do this more than once a week. Guess I'd better do it at home.
Today I had a heck of a time getting out of bed. I actually slept ok last night, but I was up at five. The cat started my day with a feline aria of barfing that I thought would never end. Then of course I had to get up and pee which meant turning on the lights to avoid stepping in fresh barf. When I got back to bed my lower digestive tract woke up, so it was back to the bathroom. Then, of course, I couldn't get back to sleep. Ugh. Guess what next? Yes, you've got it right, I fell into a dead sleep about 1/2 hour before my alarm went off. I turned the alarm off and went back to sleep which meant a full tilt rush to get out of the house. Late by a whopping 5 minutes, not that there was anyone here to notice.
Next I got a stern talking to from the big boss for repeating something he'd told me causually. More of a butt chewing, actually. I don't want to go into it, but it was very upsetting and not entirely my fault. Actually, partly his fault, but I didn't want to point that out and add insubordination to my list of sins. At any rate, it didn't improve my day.
And I just found out that a friend of yore, a very nice man who played concertina at our wedding, killed himself last month. On the 9th, which has some already negative associations.
I think I've had enough of this world for today. Time to go home and either finish reading Edith Wharton's The Buckaneers or finish knitting a sock. Anyway, it's sounding like a good evening to hide. |
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| Reading, some heavy, some not |
[Sep. 14th, 2009|12:12 pm] |
I've been beating myself up lately for not reading all of the non-fiction history type books I've got piled up. Instead I've been indulging in fiction. Turns out I've been reading some pretty weighty fiction without noticing it. It's easy to slide through a big book when I read it on my Palm Pilot. A Dickens novel reads the same as a brain candy mystery novel on that thing.
Sometime in the last six months I read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austin. I don't know when I read it, but I liked it and it was more on the "light" side. It was also fairly funny.
I read Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell a few months ago. I guess this is heavy, but I didn't read it all at once. It reminded me of Pickwick Papers, in that it's a bunch of little stories strung into a big one. A much more feminine Pickwick Papers. I decided to read it since I watched the Masterpiece Theater version and it was fun. The book and the TV show were pretty different in story lines, but the same in tone. I loved Cranford and will probably read it again someday. Funny thing, Pickwick is mentioned in Cranford. Some of the characters like it a lot, but the ladies dislike it. Hah.
Lessons From the Fat-O-Sphere by Kate Harding was interesting reading from a fat acceptance standpoint, but mostly not lessons I need. I think it was more geared toward single fatties. Still, a good little read and entertaining. I always enjoy reading what Kate writes. I like her style. Definitely a "light" read.
Next up, Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. I don't know what made me decide to read this, since I didn't like the movie. I didn't much like the book either. Characters I didn't care about did nothing of interest in old New York. I spent so much time reading this one that I felt like I was living in this oppressive society where no one ever says or does anything. I slogged through it anyway.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was the antidote to Age of Innocence. Light, fun, inspiring, and left me feeling that I wasn't as screwed up as someone else. This is a real schadenfreude kind of read. I read it so fast that I don't really remember it already. She ate some good stuff in Italy, scrubbed some floors and was sleep deprived in India, and made some neat friends in Bali.
Ok, about to lose connectivity... |
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| Advance Planning |
[Sep. 13th, 2009|10:37 pm] |
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I'm throwing myself a 40th birthday party on November 7th. Plan on joining me that evening. You have been warned. |
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| Donner Memorial |
[Sep. 10th, 2009|10:58 am] |
On Monday Mike and I headed up to Donner Memorial State Park, just as the rest of the world was streaming home from their three day weekend. I did as much as I could to get us ready on Sunday, so by Monday we were able to pack a few last things and head out early. We made it to Donner Pass by about three and were set up by about 3:30. Mike was off at the lake fishing before four and I was able to finish my latest book before Gail arrived.
Donner was beautiful and amazingly peaceful, especially compared to Big Basin in August! Here's what our camp looked like:
 
I guess wildlife at Donner can be a bit of a problem. We were provided with a giant locker to keep bears out of our food, which we used religiously when we weren't eating (seems we ate the whole time we were there). It made a great place to store our food, but I think the park wanted us to put the food inside the locker.
We never did see any bears, but we did have the chipmunk whorde to contend with. We learned pretty fast to keep the food locker closed and the tent zipped up, since these bold little beasties got into everything. You'd think they'd at least be polite enough to sit still and have their picture taken, but no dice. Here's the best I could do:
On Tuesday Mike and I went over to the museum, which is a historic place in many ways. Sure, there's lots of information on the Donner Party and the Overland Trail. I think it's neat that the museum is historic all by itself. It was put together in 1962, so it's like looking at a slice of the history of interpretation. Maybe I just enjoy seeing something that reminds me of my childhood. They're going to build a new museum and it'll be a shame to lose what's there. I'm glad I got to see it.
Mike and I wandered out to the memorial that was built to the westward emigrants in 1918 and I got a picture of him. The top of the memorial is as high as the snow was the year the Donner Party camped there.
This was the lovely, relaxing camping trip I wanted. After Mike and I wandered around Tuesday morning he went fishing, Gail took her kayak out on the lake, and I had a snooze and read. In the evening we had the perfect campfire and celebrated Mike's birthday with s'mores. I put a candle in his and we sang at him. Yesterday was a leisurely packing up and trip home.
I don't know if Donner would be great if it were crowded, but it was a really nice place to stay this time. I'd go back.
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| In Which the Author has a Polite Disagreement About Table Settings |
[Sep. 4th, 2009|10:07 am] |
When Mike and I sat down and the below mentioned restaurant (you know, the outhouse or some such) the table was all set and ready for us. There was a bread plate and butter knife. Water glass and white wine glass with napkin stuffed in. Table knife and teaspoon (why?) on the right. Dinner fork and salad fork on the left. Teaspoon (another?) and dessert fork above and parallel to the edge of the table. Quite the array of tableware.
Now, if this were a prix fixe dinner I would expect to get a green salad, something to be eaten with a teaspoon (what? A soup spoon maybe, but a teaspoon?), a dinner of something that could be cut with a table knife, coffee and a forkable dessert. It was not prix fixe. Most of the tableware ended up being unsuitable for what we ordered.
Mike ordered a glass of wine, but the wine glasses were removed right off the bat and his wine was brought back in a new glass. I mentioned before that this place wanted to be a fine restaurant. You may wonder why. The red wine was brought in a white wine glass. Well, really, who cares. Not I, but I don't drink wine. Mike didn't really care either, but I think this is what makes a place ok or really fine. Very, very minor stuff.
Bread and butter came, and we were armed and ready for it. First course was an appetizer that required its own plate and utensils. These were brought and removed. Next was the evil onion soup which came with a suitable spoon. Since we weren't having salad my fork was sacrificed to the aid of consuming gooey cheese. Mike's fork was wasted. Next a little scoop of sorbet which came with its own teaspoon. Again, why the teaspoon on the table? A mystery... Finally, dinner was served. My fillet came with a steak knife and a special knife was also brought for M's seafood. Ok, don't need the table knives. Main course finished and M had a salad fork, knife, and that puzzling teaspoon left. I had a knife and teaspoon. I had coffee and dessert, so I used up the upper ware.
Here's the disagreement: I think it would be better to just put out the things a diner will most likely actually need, then bring the other things as needed. Mike thinks it would be weird to sit down to a table with little or nothing on it, as though diners weren't expected. It seems wasteful to me to put a bunch of stuff on the table that will just be removed. Somehow I think it's pretentious. Like "look, we have lots and lots of silverware and we want to make sure you know it!" I also think it's sort of crummy to put dessert stuff out, since it's like saying "you WILL be ordering dessert!"
So, when I rule the world, I will sit down to a table with a tablecloth, a napkin, bread plate and butter knife, dinner fork, and water glass. Maybe there will be a knife to please Mike. |
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| Dinner, Anyone? |
[Sep. 4th, 2009|09:29 am] |
Last Sunday night Mike and I dined at a restaurant called Jakes (http://www.themidnightstar.com/jakes.html) in Deadwood. Wow, I just realized that the name of the place is Jakes and not Jake's. That's funny. Without the possessive the name of the place becomes synonymous with the words loo, crapper, shitter, privy, and powder room. Unfortunate choice of name for a restaurant. I didn't notice that before. Anyway, it wants very badly to be a fine dining experience. They put a lot of flatware on the table, but like I said before, that's another post. Mike and I were laughing as we ate our french onion soup, since it's a really hard thing to eat politely. We came up with an idea for the Dinner From Hell.
Here's the premise: You're having a dinner party. The white linen tablecloth is on the table, candles are burning brightly, flower arrangement is lovely. All of your best tableware is out and guests arrive nattily attired and perfectly groomed. Only problem: you don't like your guests. You don't like them at all. You need to serve them a good, quality, healthful and perhaps decadent meal, but you don't need to make it easy for them. In fact, it may be entertaining to mortify them by serving things that are confusing or difficult to eat.
So, what's for dinner?
Mike and I put together our own little menu, but I'd love to hear your opinion.
First course: small dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce topped by a few prawns still in their shells. Yes, I know this sounds improbable, but we were actually served this once at a formal dinner. I guess the chef had a really sick sense of humor.
Next up, a salad. You know the one. The pieces of lettuce are too big to fit in your mouth neatly, but not big enough to truly require the use of a knife. Perhaps we could throw in some of those greens that are perfectly flat and, when dressed, glue themselves to the plate.
For the soup course, what else? French onion soup gratineed. Yup. This is a dish I suspect should be eaten alone in a darkened room.
Artichokes. The devil's own vegetable.
Now, I was considering crab or lobster for the main course, but anything that is typically served with a bib is license to dig in and drip butter onto the tablecloth. Not subtle enough. When lobster hits the table the guests know they're allowed to remove their dinner jackets, roll up their sleeves, and tuck their napkins into their collars. This simply cannot be countenenced.
So maybe small, bony fish for the fish course? I really don't know.
I also think it would be fun to serve some things that require specialized utensils that most folks haven't seen before. You know, that Victorian stuff with weird forks and spoons. I can't think of anything now, but maybe in time.
If anyone has ideas, pitch in. I think this cold be entertaining.
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